Missing in Action
by kathrynblack
Summary: Case number 10h7: Subject: Holly Short Missing in action, pressumed dead Last known location: Colombian jungle Radio: nonresponsive Vitals: flat
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all you peoples. To read this story you need: no knowledge of anything beyond the first book (though knowledge of the fourth and fifth books would be slightly helpful). No knowledge of any of my other stories (odd, I know.) But this does happen after **_**all **_**of my other stories and all the books even TTP. No spoilers for TTP though, mostly because it annoyed me, H/T fans will understand. Slight TOD and TLC spoilers, nothing major though.**

**Now it's time to sound like a rating on a video game. T for: language, drug and alcohol refrence. I think that's it.**

--

"Major Short." Trouble said into his mich. "What's you status."

Nothing but static responded.

He tried again. "Major Short, your status?"

Still, his only answer was static.

"Holly are you there!?" he yelled. "Holly! Holly! Damnit, talk to me! Foaly where are you!"

"What do you need Commander." Came two voices over the PA system. One was male and very shaky, Foaly, the other younger, female, and more composed, though still a little shaken up, Maikena Alda.

"I just want Foaly, Maike."

Static came through the system as Foaly took a couple calming breaths, followed by his appearance on the screen. "It's the hurricane of the century out in Colombia," Where Holly was on assignment, tracking a gang. "Her equipment may just be malfunctioning." Foaly was just trying to calm him down and keep him hopeful. It was highly unlikely Foaly's equipment actually malfunctioned.

"Could you check vitals?"

Foaly tapped a couple keys afraid of information he would get. "Flat Commander, their flat."

"What in Frond's name happened out there? She needed radio silence for a while, but I was starting to worry. I have no idea what happened, and I probably could have stopped it."

"Commander," Foaly started. When Trouble didn't reply he tried again. "Trouble?"

This time Trouble lifted his head.

"Do you want me to disintegrate the helmet?"

"No, we should use the locator in it to find her body after the storms over."

--

Artemis's phone clattered to the floor.

"Artemis, what's wrong." Butler asked.

"It's Holly. She's missing in action. Presumed dead."

"What happened?"

"She was tracking a gang through Colombia..."

"During the Hurricane?"

"Yes and her vitals suddenly went flat during a period of radio silence."

--

Some of the best teams the LEP had put together had failed to expose this drug ring, even the one headed by the Atlantian Commander. Holly had gotten the closest, but it now seemed it had, he hated to even think the word, killed her. Trouble was still going to try. He would out together a new team, and he had just the list. He typed in the number for Foaly on his mobile phone.

"Hello." Foaly answered still a little shaken up by the ordeal this morning.

"Foaly, I need some people in my office, Maike, Vinyaya, you and Alita Sobiat."

--

**A/N: This was an amazingly short chapter, especially when compared to my other ones. **


	2. Chapter 2

Alita had a lot of criminal contacts, mostly in the gangs of the lower east side, where she had grown up. She was without doubt the best fairy to have around when you needed to track a gang. She was responsible for most of their big gang busts.

She stepped up and stuck a rough sketch to a white board. "This is a sketch of Ida Kalom; she took over Zima Maith's operation after he was killed. A case I'm sure you all remember."

Of course Trouble remembered. It was the first case he and Holly had worked on together, and the only case that involved everyone in this room. "Just the fact that this is the best sketch we have of her tells you how hard she is to find."

"Our intelligence tells us she uses several mesmerized humans to do most of her surface work. They would be even harder to find." Foaly cut in.

Maike stood up, walked over to the board and picked up a marker. "Now, Ida Kalom does not have the magical ability to mesmerize as many humans as she would need. It's a good bet she uses her head warlock, a pixie by the name of Jurican Behi. There's at least two other fairies-"

"And I know just the people." Alita cut in. "His wife Ana, and Azman, his apprentice. These three and probably more were helping him. Find one and we should have no trouble finding the others"

"Foaly," Trouble said standing up. "I want everything we have on these people on my desk within the hour."

"Send a copy to me as well." Vinyaya ordered.

"Maike, Alita," Trouble continued. "Use you connections. Figure something out about these people we wouldn't know."

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Maike stood in front of a large building that sat right before suburbia began. She quickly typed in a key code and scanned her thumb. She thought that no one yet had figured out how to change the security system. She, of course, was right and the door clicked and opened in front of her. She pulled her hood down until it touched her eyes so she couldn't be recognized.

She stepped into the headquarters of her old criminal empire. After she was awarded with amnesty for her part in stopping Koboi's last plot and Innes was arrested Ariana and Selah took over while she joined as a tech for the LEP. She opened the door of an office and stepped in a young, red haired elf was standing facing a wall computer. "Run plan 7h52k." She obviously hadn't heard the door open.

"What's that?" Maike asked.

"Cancel." Ariana said quickly at the sound. "Maike!" She exclaimed hugging her old friend tightly.

"I can't believe you show up here after joining the LEP and leaving us to clean up your mess." A voice said.

Maike laughed and turned to see a sprite standing in the doorway. "Very funny Selah." She said giving him a quick hug. "Now, I need some help. Holly Short-"

"I missing in action and you need us to help you find Ida Kalom." Selah cut her off.

"How did you-"

"Have you forgotten already? Our main computer has access to all of Foaly's files."

"I didn't think you knew how to get in to those."

"He didn't" Ariana replied. "One of our techs figured it out."

Maike turned to the computer. "Does this still recognize my voice?" She asked.

"Yeah," Selah said. "No one could figure out how to erase it."

"Pull Jurican Behi."

What pulled up on the screen was condensed to small to be read.

"Last known location." He probably wasn't there, but someone was going to be.

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"Any news from the search party?" Trouble asked.

"We found her helmet commander." Foaly replied.

"And?"

"We did not find a body."

"If there's no body she might not be dead."

It was unlikely she had survived the hurricane, very unlikely. But Trouble didn't need to know that.

There was a knock at Trouble's door.

"Yes." Trouble said.

"We found someone."

"Let's go."

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Maike and Alita had successfully rounded up the five fairies in this warehouse. Only one was who they were looking for, and it just happened to be Behi. At least the ID he had on him said he was Jurican Behi. He didn't particularly match the description Alita had been given of Jurican. When this was over she needed to have a word with her informants.

Only after everyone had been arrested did they call Vinyaya. The majority of the LEP would just mess this up.

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Trouble looked through a one way window into an interrogation room. "How's it going?" he asked.

"He's not talking. We called over a shrink to see if he couldn't loosen him up a bit. I for one find it a waste of time."

"You've spent too much time in gangs. Here you can't just go beating someone up for some answers."

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One wall of Trouble's office was completely covered with sketches of fairies, reports, both official and otherwise, from this gang, and of course pages from the official report of the case that killed Zima Maith.

"Troub?" Someone asked.

"Haven't I told you not to do that, Grub?" He said not even turning around.

"Ark Sool wanted to see you." Grub said ignoring the question.

"Can't you tell him I'm not in?"

"It looks a lot like you're here to me." A different voice said. Trouble recognized it as Sool's.

"You couldn't've told me he was standing right there?"

"Sorry Troub." Grub muttered as he closed the door.

"What do you want Sool?" Trouble asked.

"I can't just stop by?"

"No, you cannot."

Sool turned toward the covered wall. "I don't know why you're spending so much time on this. Short was a loose cannon and-" Sool never got a chance to finish because at that moment Trouble's fist collided with Sool's face.

"I suggest you leave before I'm tempted to hit you again."

Sool left his office without comment.

"I have been waiting to do that." Trouble muttered.

"Nice hit Trouble." Foaly commented.

"What have I told you about spying on me?" Trouble said

"Told you he would hit Sool." Maike gloated, also joining the conversation. "When are you going to learn that I am always right?"

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**A/N: Oh Yeah that was so almost a thousand words. 984 (not counting this authors note.)**


	3. Chapter 3

Captain Sobiat crossed her arms and stared through the window at a dwarf by the name of Jurican Behi. She wasn't allowed to interrogate him alone. She had gotten a reputation for being overly aggressive, mostly caused from the council hearing about her throwing a suspect through the very window she was staring through. The council had overreacted, one: the creep had it coming and two: it did get him to talk.

She opened the door and walked in. Nothing was going to happen if she did nothing. "You know what I just don't get?" She said talking mostly to herself. "How my people could be so wrong in their description of you. Plastic surgery maybe?"

He gave no reply.

"You might want to start talking, because the way I see it you have two choices. You can not cooperate and we grill you for 24 hours before we throw your ass in maximum security."

"Iso?" He asked.

"Sure, why not? Now option two: You cooperate with us and I ask the DA to think about cutting you a deal."

"What kinda deal is that?"

"The kind that gets you out of prison before your 800."

"Fine. I'll talk, but I don't know that much."

"I highly doubt that."

"I'm going to explain it."

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_This was the four's last stop before headed back to the waiting shuttle. Dealers here made everything easy to find so this was how they got most everything from the surface. "Guys could ya hurry it up?" Ana asked. "The storm's really getting' bad."_

"_We're working on it." Azman snapped._

_Ana crossed her arms and waited, impatiently for them to finish._

_A crash echoed through the small, one room shack. They turned to see a LEP officer standing in the doorway._

"_Told ya we should a' left." Ana muttered, barely audible._

_At the sight of the LEP officer Emmett pulled out a gun_

_Holly Short pulled out two guns of her own and pointed them at two separate fairies. "Now, if my assumptions are correct the gun you're holding will kill me. So you can either shoot me and I shoot you and Jurican, or you could put the gun down and I won't shoot anyone. Your choice."_

_Emmett shot. _

_Holly dodged to the side, and released a shot at Jurican and Emmett._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"I went down. No idea what happened after that."

"Then tell me where I can find Azman."

"Of course."

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This time Alita waited for Trouble before walking into the interrogation room. Talking to Jurican alone had nearly gotten her suspended and she wasn't going to push it anymore.

She walked up to the table Azman was sitting at while Trouble stood in a corner.

"What's with him?" Azman asked gesturing to Trouble. "He your baby sitter or somethin'"

Alita chuckled. "Technically the term is handler."

"She has some real anger management issues."

"But," Alita started, "As I'm sure you already know, Major Short is missing and it looks like you're the one responsible. So I don't think the commander's gonna mind me knocking you around a bit." She swept her leg under Azman's chair and kicked it out from under him.

Trouble made no move to stop her. In fact a slight smile spread across his face and Alita could have sworn she heard him laugh.

"See?" She asked. "So, the longer you avoid my questions the longer I have to beat up on you. Major Holly Short, ever heard of her?"

"Yeah, she's been in the papers before."

"Ever met her in person."

"No."

"Now that's weird. She was on the verge of a pretty large gang bust, one headed by Ida Kalom." She slammed him hard into a wall. "Start tellin' the truth."

"He's not going to talk Alita. Probably protecting someone. Most likely Jurican."

Alita started laughing again and released Azman. "Well, he's not protecting you. Sold us to you on a silver platter and for what, a couple decades shaved off his sentence."

"The dwarf's on his way to Atlantis right now to cut a deal." Trouble said.

"Dwarf?" Azman asked.

"Yeah, what's your point?" Alita asked slamming him against the wall again.

"Jurican's not a dwarf. He's an elf."

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**A/N: Third chapter down. And just over 700 words. Christmas break starts in a week I'm so happy. I was jipped my snow day, but Christmas break starts in a week. Hopefully I'll have more time to write.**


	4. Chapter 4

Maike turned the audio outside the interrogation room down. So the man they thought was Jurican was actually Emmett. That explained a couple things. "So then Foaly," she started. The centaur was always listening. "Why would Emmett lie?"

"So he wasn't blamed for Holly going MIA." Foaly replied.

"Makes sense. Except Emmett was shot too."

"One: don't believe anything he says. Two: He was shot at; we don't know if he fainted."

"How long till the flight leaves?"

"Ten minutes. They may be able to make it."

"Then what are they still doing in there." Maike opened the door to the interrogation room and said, "Could I see you two for a minute?"

They stood up and walked out.

As soon as the door closed behind them Maike said, "We can take it from here. You two have about," She glanced at her watch. "Eight minutes to get to the airstrip. I'll have a shuttle ready incase you don't make it."

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Vinyaya hated when they cut someone a deal. It took twice as much paperwork as if they indicted him. Not to mention the fact that letting a perp get off easy did not sit well with her.

Her phone vibrated on her desk. She dropped her pen, happy for the break, and picked up her phone. "Hello."

It was Trouble on the other end. "Vinyaya, you cannot let a deal be cut for Jurican."

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I'll tell you later. Were going to land just a couple minutes after you. Provided our shuttle…wait here it is. Talk to you in about an hour. Need to go."

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Trouble's shuttle landed less than a minute after the one carrying Emmett. Emmett was struggling against a captain's grip as they and Vinyaya walked over to meet him.

"Okay, here Jurican is, no deal has been cut. Now could you tell me what's going on?"

"First, his name's not Jurican, it's Emmett. Yeah really. Is it so hard to believe he lied?" Trouble said noticing the skepticism on Vinyaya's face.

At that moment Emmett finally pulled free of the captain's grip and pulled a gun out from under his jacket. He rose to fire but he was hit in the chest with three neutrino blasts.

"Did no one think to check this guy for a gun?" Vinyaya yelled, but Trouble didn't here her. He was too focused on the elf that holstered her gun and started running from the scene. Was it Holly? The elf looked so much like her.

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**A/N: Yeah that was a short chapter, but I felt like ending it.**

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. **** (that was sopposed to be a smiley face, but my computer was acting up.)**

**To QueenofBookworms: I went back to the second chapter and put some background in. Sometimes my stories run together in my head and I think I've already explained something about my ocs and I actually haven't in this story.**

**To Mojo817: I have a better reason for why Foaly wasn't freaked. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter.**

**Yes, I do realize there's a reply button, but I feel like putting it here incase someone else cares. **


	5. Chapter 5

Vinyaya picked up the gun Emmett had dropped. "You do know this is illegal, right? It kills too. That's another ten years." She waved the gun in Emmett's face. "Okay, get him out of here. And make sure he doesn't have any other weapons on him. Trouble, did you see who fired the shot?"

No one replied so she turned around. Trouble had disappeared.

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Could it really have been Holly? Trouble's better judgment told him not to get his hopes up. But he was listening to that part of his brain right now and continued following the elf. After another couple blocks on the main road she turned down an alley.

Trouble quickened his pace and turned down the same alley. What he saw was a couple hundred feet of a deserted brick alley that ended with an eight foot high wall. She couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. Unless she was never there to begin with the rational part of his brain said, but, yet again, Trouble was not listening. He was too busy trying to figure out where Holly could have disappeared to.

A smile spread across his face when he spotted the solution, a door. He cautiously pushed it open and stepped in to a dark hallway. He shielded himself and walked down the hallway, careful not to make a sound.

The hallway opened into a room with five fairies seated around a table. One, the single female, was obviously Holly Short. You can do pretty much anything with plastic surgery the pessimistic voice in his head said. Shut up, he told it. He dropped his shield but kept his hand on his gun, unsure what to expect.

"Ah, we have a visitor," One fairy said, "And Short; I think he's looking for you."

Holly turned and smiled. "Trouble, come have a seat."

Trouble crossed the room and keeping his eye on Holly. He placed his hands on Holly's shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"Trouble," Holly said. "What are you doing?"

"It's really you." He muttered pulling her into a hug.

"I thought you said he knew." One of the other fairies said.

Trouble turned to look at him trying to put a name on the face he knew he had seen before.

"It's been three years," Holly said, "I figure someone had told him."

Oblivious to the argument going on around him Trouble had finally placed the face. Well this wasn't making any sense, not that it was before. Looking now at everyone else he realized he knew many of them. "You," He said turning to one. "You went MIA about 200 years ago."

"Guilty." He answered.

"And you, disappeared the same case we lost Vicar Ivalni in Australia, You fell off a building 30 years ago in a deserted part of Haven."

"He's good." One of them said.

"And, of course, Sandro Almet, the only casualty of the Turnball Root case. You're all supposed to be dead, but you're not."

"Told you he'd be able to figure it out on his own." Holly said. "You've got most of it Trouble, the main part anyway. We're an elite team used mostly for covert stuff-"

"Can you think of a better undercover operative?" Sandro Almet interrupted. "Anyone recognizes us we're either missing or dead."

"I was getting to that," Holly said popping the cap off a beer. She went to drink it, but Trouble covered the opening with his hand. "What?"

"Did you get me one?" Trouble asked.

"No"

"Then this is mine." He pulled it out of her hand. "You are welcome to go get yourself one."

Holly started muttering as she walked off toward the fridge.

"So now what happens?" Trouble asked. "I wake up tomorrow morning with no memory of any of this."

"Protocol is that the commander knows." Sandro said.

"To stop what happened these last couple days." Holly said returning with a second open beer. "We don't need you launching a huge rescue effort for someone who's not going to be found. It makes it harder for us and we don't need you wasting time, money and fairies on someone who doesn't want to be found."

"Well, I'm sorry I wanted to find you." Trouble said.

"Well you were supposed to know."

"And who was supposed to tell me?"

"Foaly, we have no one gifted in the tech side of this, and do need someone who is. Plus he can get us a decent budget without anyone noticing."

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**A/N: Yay! No it is not done. I've got more. At least five chapters more. It starts to drift away from Holly after a bit and I might go changing the title at some point, though it is unlikely.**

**And I've got midterms in a couple days. Ugh. So I won't have much time to write/type.**

**Good bye until next chapter. Well good-bye to those of you who actually read this stuff. **


	6. Chapter 6

After a week the LEP had scanned every inch of northern South America, but had found no trace of Holly Short apart from the helmet they had found the first day. It became apparent the only way Holly was going to be found is if the LEP found Jurican.

They cracked down on gang activity hard. From the small, numerous gangs of Suburbia, to the single gang dominance of the Lower East Side there was a lot of work to be done. Alita Sobiat, being one of the few fairies in the LEP with any knowledge of the gangs, was on call 24/7. She hadn't set foot in her apartment for over a week.

Alita awoke, at two in the morning, to footsteps and voices in what should have been a deserted hall. She stood up, quickly pulled her hair back and walked over to a pair of corporals and four other fairies, none more than 70. "Corporals, why did you bring me back these four kids."

"The actual list is pretty extensive, Josiah's sending it over right now." There were three main techs with the Haven LEP, Foaly worked with section eight and some major case stuff, Maike with recon and retrieval, and Josiah worked everything local.

"Lock 'em up. I'll decide what to do when the list gets over."

"Our parents'll have us out by morning." One of the kids said, and from the look on his face, seriously believed it.

"Actually, we already talked to your parents. Seems they think you could do with a day in jail." A voice from behind Alita said, Josiah's voice.

"What are you doing here?" Alita asked.

"I was told you'd want this." Josiah said handing her a stack of about four papers.

"And you felt a need to hand deliver it?"

"You're going to interrogate them, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"And I'm your chaperone."

"Whatever." She said flipping through the pages. She stopped suddenly on the third. "I need Commander Kelp, now."

"Why?" Josiah asked.

"This name, Sofia Bezant. Bezant is one of Ida Kalom's assistants, how'd you guys miss that?"

"I'll get Kelp to the jail right away."

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Trouble closed the door to the interrogation room and turned to Alita Sobiat. "I have had it with kids in this city." He said.

"Want me to try?" Alita asked.

"Be my guest, but I will be watching."

"Of course you will." Alita opened the door and stepped in. "You four have no idea the trouble your in, do you? You just think you're invincible. Well, what we've got on you is good for about five years. So before we lock you up I've go one question: Where is Jurican Behi?"

"Who?" One asked.

"We don't know any Jurican." Sofia said.

"Sofia Bezant, you do realize I know who your father is? I knew him once, in another life. Back when I worked for Usiku, you know him right? So don't give me this crap. Where is Jurican?" By now Alita was fighting to keep her temper in check.

No one answered.

"Oh, didn't I mention, first person to answer my questions gets the deal." That should loosen them up. She never liked cutting deals, but it seemed to be the only way to them to talk without her being the subject of another internal investigation.

"Here," Sofia said shoving a piece of paper across the table. "Show up there this morning six o'clock."

Alita opened it up and read the address. "And what's here?"

"What you're lookin' for. I'd like my deal now."

"I'll have the DA get back to you, provided this works out."

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Alita was one of ten officers in six cars on stakeout. She had been here since five in the morning, and it was now about five forty. She inserted a wire into her ear and started talking, "Josiah, you do realize it's been about fifteen years since I've seen Jurican, right? I hope you're not relyin' solely on me to ID him."

"Of course not. We had Sofia sit down with a sketch artist, so any time someone turns onto this block the computer takes the video from the street camera and compares it to the sketch. Now though, I need to hand you over to Foaly. He's running the show now."

"Okay. Is Commander Kelp on this channel?"

"I'm right behind you." Trouble answered.

"Good. Foaly I got someone coming up."

"Not him." Foaly replied.

Ten minutes later Foaly had a match. "It's him. Red cap, black jacket."

"I've got it." Trouble said, already slamming the car door behind him. "Jurican Behi, don't move." He yelled.

Like that ever worked. Jurican took off running. Trouble followed, but couldn't gain any ground.

"I'll try and cut him off Commander." Alita said.

Jurican turned down an alley, Trouble a hundred feet behind. A gate blocked the other end. Instead of attempting to scale it he turned around to fight. As Trouble approached Jurican threw a punch. Trouble blocked it, and five more, before punching him once to knock him to the ground. "Jurican Behi you are under arrest."

Jurican said nothing.

Trouble knelt down next to him and checked his breathing. Nothing, Jurican wasn't breathing. "Damnit, you are not going to die on me. Alita where are you? Foaly I need an ambulance, now!"

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**A/N: So, midterms are over. I did okay, except on art. Art sucked. But I'm pretty sure I at least passed.**


	7. Chapter 7

Jurican had been rushed to the hospital, but despite Trouble's efforts to save him had not been breathing when the ambulance pulled out. He needed a really good warlock; so they weren't convinced he was going to make it. The LEP had sealed off the entire block, and was questioning everyone who had been around. They had even brought in Lieutenant Droin, the LEP's unofficial press secretary, for when the press finally got wind of this.

Holly Short was watching the entire thing from a rooftop four blocks away with the aid of a standard issue LEP recon helmet. She had a call to make. She pulled out her phone and punched in the number.

Trouble's phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn't recognize the number but answered it anyway. "Commander Kelp."

"Trouble," Holly started. "You've got a problem."

"Tell me about it."

"So you realize there's going to be an internal investigation."

"I'm waiting for the notice to be delivered right now."

"Maybe, you'll be lucky and he'll pull through. But maybe not, someone from the council's office is headed your way."

"That would be my subpoena. You're lucky you haven't been recognized yet, all the officers around here."

"Oh, I'm not going to have that problem. I'm a couple blocks away."

"I'm going to have to let you go."

"Sure, but keep your temper in check and don't get fired."

"I'll do my best." He hung up the phone and turned to the fairy from the council's office.

"I was told to deliver this to you." He said. "And to tell you Jurican Behi died, about ten minutes ago."

"Okay." He said holding out his had for the paper. He should probably tell Alita. If he could find her, there she was. "Hey, Sobiat." He called.

"What?" She replied.

"Jurican died."

"Annoying. You're gonna get a subpoena now."

"Already have one." He said holding it up.

Alita started chuckling.

"What?"

"Just that it's not me being served. When was the last time there was an internal investigation that didn't revolve around me?"

"The couple times Holly was investigated."

"Okay, a couple things you should know before you need to meet your deadline, one: no lawyer, a lawyer shows you think you did something wrong, two: answer all the questions, three: keep your temper in check."

"The number of times I've been told that today you'd think I had pretty serious anger management problems. Do you know where Droin is?"

"No, but I can get him." She pulled a radio up to her mouth, "Droin, Commander Kelp wants to see you."

"On my way." Droin replied starting to push through the crowd. "Yes what've we got? One minute," He said raising his radio. "Captain Stuart is that who I think it is?"

"Definitely." Came Stuart's reply.

"Damn, she's here." Droin said.

"Who?" asked one of the corporals on duty here.

"Rybeka Tusitala, a vampire with a press pass."

"She's not that bad." Trouble said.

"Oh she is." Droin corrected.

"Stop tryin' to scare the newbie." Alita said.

"Give her five hours and it's not going to matter what the investigation turns up the public's going to think you used excessive force." Droin said.

"You're over reacting." Trouble said.

"I'm really not."

"Okay then, keep her away from it. I've got to go. I've got an hour to make this deadline."

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Trouble sighed. "How many more times must we go over this," He said, "We finally found Jurican Behi; I told him not to move, he took off running; I pursued him-"

"alone?" The elf conducting the interview asked.

"I had Captain Sobiat try to cut him off; I caught up to him and he attacked me; I blocked as long as I could than hit him once to knock him out; when I went to cuff him he wasn't breathing so I called an ambulance. Anything else?"

"No I think we're done here."

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Chairman Cahartez and Internal Affairs Director Sekuma walked into Trouble's office an hour after the interview was done. By the expressions on their faces he knew what was coming. "Kelp," Cahartez started. We have no choice but to suspend you, until the autopsy is done. A couple days, at the most. Then, depending on what the ME concludes, we will take more permanent action."

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Rybeka Tusitala let her bag slip off her shoulder into a chair and walked back out into an area with five different news stations playing on five different TVs and about fifteen fairies, some actually seated at desks and some just standing off to the side or walking through. She disconnected the hands free device of her phone and brought it up to her ear while trying to watch all five TVs at once to make sure she was still on top of things. "That wasn't the answer to my question." She told Lieutenant Droin.

"We have no new information." Droin said. "An investigation is being conducted. As I get news I will tell you."

"I'm sure that was the answer to some question, but- someone turn that up." She pointed to a TV.

"In this video sent in anonymously…" That was as much as she listened to before getting back to her call. "Droin, channel six."

"Frond." He muttered.

"I'll be getting back to you in a bit." She said, but the line had already gone dead.

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Cahartez picked up the phone on Trouble's desk when it started to ring.

"Kelp?" Droin asked.

"No, Chairman Cahartez."

"Tell him we're watching." Trouble yelled.

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**A/N: And it's done. A rather long chapter. 931 words to be exact.**


	8. Chapter 8

Trouble was sitting on a sofa in an apartment registered to Erin Saken, Holly Short's main alias. He was replaying the cell phone video of Jurican's death. Every news channel was running it, and the LEP were still trying to find who had sent it in. He knew this wasn't what happened, he just couldn't prove it.

"Don't torture yourself." Holly said walking up behind him. She pulled the remote out of his hand and changed the channel. "Game's about to start anyway."

Holly's channel surfing was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Trouble started to stand up but Holly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me get it." She said.

"Fine." Trouble said shrugging his shoulders and picking up the remote.

"You better not be turning that video back on." Holly warned opening the door. She almost jumped back at the sight of Alita Sobiat standing at the door.

"Surprised to see me?" She asked.

"Shouldn't I be?" Holly replied.

"It's not that hard to figure out. Trouble's not at his house and the Haven Atlantis game is today. Figured I might as well check here."

"No, how do you know I'm alive?"

"Oh, that? I have more connections than pretty much anybody under the world. But don't worry, it's somethin' no one but I coulda put together."

"Okay, come in."

"Who was…" Trouble trailed off when he saw Alita.

"Don't worry. No one else knows." Holly assured him. "Now Alita, what've you got?"

"Bad news and good news. I'll give you the bad news first. I came over to give you the final results of the autopsy-"

"You're the M.E now too?" Holly asked.

"Yeah, old guy retired. He was a little strange; it seems I'm the only one at a high enough rank to take over that he trained. Really it's just a title, I barely do anything. It's been ruled a homicide by Chanson. A three inch cut on the spleen, died from internal bleeding."

"He's sure?" Trouble asked.

"Yeah, checked everything three times." Alita answered.

"Damnit!" Trouble yelled throwing the remote against a wall. "I didn't kill the guy. Hell, I tried to save him."

"What?" Alita asked.

Trouble nodded. "I gave him CPR."

"I'll have to run it by Chanson, but that's probably what caused the cut in his spleen."

"So now we have no idea what killed him?"

"I might. Anything found in his pockets?"

"One minute." Holly said. She placed a soda on the counter and took a folder off island behind her. Flipping through the papers, she stopped on one and ran her finger down the page. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Pills. Of any sort."

"There was one bottle, prescription was filled a couple months ago, but it was still nearly full."

"I've got to get back to the lab. Trouble, I'm gonna be seeing you at work." Alita started toward the door.

"Alita, you said there was good news." Holly said.

"There is. Foaly tracked the cell video. It was sent in by Sofia Bezant."

"The girl who led us to him?" Trouble asked.

"Yeah. Foaly's lookin' to see if it's been messed with at all."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chanson had figured Alita's theory had some merit and did a closer examination of the body. After a second autopsy had been completed she hand delivered it to the council.

Now Alita was sitting in counsel chambers discussing her theory. "…When Commander Kelp told me this I remembered a bit of information I had gathered from a source that I find reliable about Jurican. It seems he had a prescription that he filled about every month at a drug store on 65th street. It had to be either a very rare or serious disease, because he couldn't get the pills off the street.

"The pills in his pocket were consistent with treatment for the early stages of an inflamed appendix, the source of all magic in the body. At its early stages pills can keep it in check allowing free use of your magical ability, which in later stages becomes very limited, and regulating the amount of magic in your body at any given time.

"He had obviously not been using them. When not taking your pills a stressful situation can have disastrous, sometimes deadly, effects. Which is most likely what happened here. Corporal Chanson did not notice this earlier because when someone with an inflamed appendix dies the appendix floods the body with magic, wiping away all traces of the disease."

"An interesting theory, but it lacks evidence, we have to be able to sell it. The internal bleeding theory has the cell phone video." One of the council members said.

"A video taped by a known associate of Jurican's." Alita replied.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes" Chairman Cahartez said.

"Captain Josiah Crassus wanted a word."

"We're busy."

"He said it was urgent."

"Fine let him in."

"Okay this is probably the most important thing you've heard all day." Josiah said walking in the door. "Foaly's been trying every trick in the book to see if the cell video's been tampered with, but I remembered that I had switched the position of all the traffic cameras to watch possible escape routes. The result being, the alley where Jurican died has been being taped since 5 yesterday morning. I watched the two videos, not a thing like each other. There was no excessive force."

"Well then," Sekuma started. "Case closed. Trouble Kelp can return to work at his old station tomorrow. Everyone agree?"

A unanimous yes.

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**A/N: Yay! Eight chapters. Tell me what you think. Utterly confused? Think I could have done something better? Just want to tell me you loved it? Review. I can't change anything if you don't tell me what's wrong. I want 25 reviews before next chapter goes up that's just 2 more. Only 2. Done ranting about reviews now.**

**Bye. I'll talk more next chapter. I want 25 reviews.**


	9. Chapter 9

Ida Kalom banged on the door to apartment 2A. No one answered the door, even though the TV was on. She knocked again, "Innes! I know you're in there, open this door." She yelled.

This time he answered the door. "Sorry Ida didn't know it was you. Police've been after me for ever, you know how it is. Come on in. What do you need?"

"Just a place to crash, lay low till everything blows over."

"What's going on?"

"Have you been above ground for a while or something? Ever since Short went missing the LEP's had bust after bust, nothing to big, yet, but you can tell they're after me."

"Fine you can stay, just don't get me arrested."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trouble had been cleared of all charges revolving around Jurican's death, but he had been removed from any investigation involving the gangs of the lower eats side. Normally that would not be a problem, but trouble was running almost every narcotics case from down there. He was on a mission, to find Ida Kalom. Most everyone figured it was to find Holly, but Alita, knowing not only that Holly was alive and well, but that Trouble knew this as well, had absolutely no idea what Trouble was up to. However, she was happy to help.

On this day one of her many informants had called her and asked to meet. She was parked on one of the main streets of Haven. She reached up and adjusted her mirror to see the elf lying in the back seat of her car. "Could you sit up?" she asked.

"No, anyone sees me talkin' to you I'm outta business." He answered.

"Right, of course. Now you said you had some information."

"Yeah, heard you were lookin' for Ida."

"Your point."

"She went into hiding."

"You're borin' me. She's been in hiding for the past year or so now."

"No I mean more so than usual. I don't even think Jehoden knows where she is."

"Well, Jehoden's in jail."

"No he's not. Don't you keep tabs on these guys?"

"In the future it would be good to remember that I have enough on you to put you away for three years. How you think your buisness'll be doin' after that?"

"I thought you were gonna drop all charges if I ratted for you."

"No, I said I'd look the other way. Can't guarantee my boys'll do the same."

"I think I'll be goin' now." He opened the back door and stepped out onto the street. Alita pulled out her phone to make a call.

"Hello," Josiah said picking up the phone. "One sec let me transfer you to a hard line. I know you don't like this cell phone being tracked, and my computer does that automatically. Okay what did you need?"

"Jehoden was released. Why the hell wasn't I told?"

"Oh yes, you requested to be told when he was released. And requested I inform you myself."

"Well, never doin' that again. I thought you'd be a little more trustworthy than anyone else in your department."

"I do have a lot more to do than everyone else in my department. Anyhting else?"

"Yeah, get me everything on Jehoden's parole and see if Trouble's got free time in, oh," She did some mental claculation. She was in the east side so about, "half an hour." she finished.

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**A/N: Okay that was a short chapter. And yes I guarantee this is going somewhere. Just figured I'd get this up since it's been forever since I updated this.**


	10. Chapter 10

"Trouble, we've got a problem

"Trouble, we've got a problem." Alita said.

"What's wrong?" Trouble asked.

"Well, let's start with Jehoden Bezant is out of jail and I didn't know so I don't have a guy following him."

"You expect me to be able to do something about this?"

"Nah, I already know what to do about it. I just need your okay."

"It involves Holly." It was not a question, but a statement of fact.

"Yeah, it does."

"And what does this entail?"

"Undercover operations. From what I hear that's her new specialty. Okay so Ida's gone into hiding, and the only person who could possibly know where she is is Jehoden."

"Don't you already have people undercover there?"

"I do, but I can't have them compromising an investigation when it took them years to get in, plus I'm not in charge of then anymore."

"It took them years to get in, what makes you think Holy will have better luck."

"She'll need a new alias. Or, more accurately, she'll assume the identity of someone else."

"I assume you already have someone in mind."

"Would I be here if I didn't?" Alita sat down in Trouble's chair and fiddled with the computer. "What we need," she began, "Is someone who wouldn't leave an impression. Someone so low on the food chain no one's going to remember what they look like if they got thrown in prison, but at the same time someone with potential. Like her." With a final click of the mouse an elf's picture appeared on the screen. "She's been in two years, got three more to go and no chance of parole, so she's not gonna show up and bust us. Also, hasn't even been initiated yet."

"What!" Trouble screamed.

Alita flinched, though she should have expected this. Trouble knew enough about the gangs of the area that this reaction would not have been uncommon, especially when it comes to Holly. "Bit overprotective of her are we?" Alita said with a chuckle.

"Alita if I heard any of my agents had to-"

"Give it up. Everyone knows you're-"

"Are you looking to get fired?"

"Sorry commander. Don't worry there's tons of initiations that haven't been used in hundreds of years and you're not jumped in anywhere but Suburbia anymore. Most likely all she'll have to do is kill someone."

"_All _she'll have to do."

"Don't worry. I got Josiah, Maike and Foaly all workin' on a solution."

"You do know those three can't do anything together, don't you? By the way, how did you even explain it to Maike and Josiah?"

"I run plenty of undercover missions, neither of them asked. And I don't have them working together. All they need to do is make sure the gun won't kill, but looks like it does. There are three possible guns she could be handed. One: a softnose. Foaly wrote the original codes for the softnoses; he'll be done with that any minute. Now two: any other type of gun that kills, they all have almost exactly the same programming. I have Maike helpin' me with that. And three: The gun could actually use bullets. Josiah's working on that."

"You seem to be putting a lot of work into this for not having asked either me or Holly."

"Actually I already talked to Holly."

"So this was…"

"Common courtesy."

**A/N: There you have it. Happy late Easter and the like to you all.**


	11. Chapter 11

Dressed now in a hoodie, black tank top, and cargo pants Holly looked far less like herself. The brown contact lenses in her eyes and dying her hair jet black ensured that no one who hadn't known her for a while would recognize her. She looked around one of Haven's three parole offices. This was the eastern office, the one Jehoden went to, and there he was. Holly sat down next to Jehoden and without turning to him said, "Hey."

"What do you want?" He asked lighting up a cigarette.

"You shouldn't be doing that here."

"Holly what the hell are you doing?" Alita asked Holly through her wire.

"Just relax." She said as quietly as she could and in doing so almost missed Jehoden's reply.

"Do they look they care?" He asked motioning to the two LEP officers in this room. One was almost asleep on her desk and the other was bent over a stack of papers on his desk, probably an exam to get out of this place.

"Somoking's been illegal here for how long. Going to the parole officer smelling like an ash tray is a good way to wind up with a tracker around you wrist."

Jehoden extinguished the cigarette with his palm, wincing slightly before his magic took care of the small burn. "What did you say your name was again?" He asked slipping the half burnt cigarette into his pocket.

"I didn't, but it's Eta Maverick."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"I was slated for initiation with you before I was caught."

"Jehoden Bezant," Someone called, "We're ready for you."

"Hey, come down to the warehouse at 42nd and 73rd tonight at nine. Bring your softnose." Jehoden stood up and walked away.

--

"Yes, she's in." Trouble said removing his mich.

"Did you see it?" Alita asked.

"What?"

"He knew her; you could see it in his eyes. Probably just recognized the name. Nothing too serious."

"You sure?"

"Trouble, _I_ barely recognized her. She's perfectly fine, but if you're that worried I'll have one of my guys watch her. Probably Alettaine, he's the most reliable."

--

Even here in the Plaza no one recognized Holly. The fact was reassuring; it meant there was no way Jehoden recognized her. It felt good to be back in Police Plaza again. Even in this gloomy place.

She and Trouble were walking through the Hall of the Dead, a memorial to every officer underground that had died in the line of duty in the past 1000 years. The hall held everything, pictures of the fallen, of their families, medals, acorns, even a disciplinary notice or two. Holly and Trouble stopped in front of Root's picture and his commander's acorns.

"I was thinking," Trouble started, "Now that you're legally dead we should put you up on this wall." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. "I was thinking this one."

Holly took the picture from him. It was one of her and Trouble dressed in the emerald green of Recon agents, and Holly had a white sash around her. You couldn't see any of the letters, but everyone who had ever flown a shuttle knew what it said. "My thousandth landing, I can't believe you kept it." She said.

"I found it after you left. I was going through your desk about a month after. It was the only picture I could find of you. I didn't feel comfortable handing over to evidence so I kept it."

"Hey, remember the disciplinary notice I got after my landing, I saved it. It's probably in evidence somewhere now."

"No actually, I've got it right here." He pulled a blue paper folded in thirds out of his pocket and waved it in front of her.

She took it out of his hand and opened it up, "For core diving and coming in 100 mph too fast for landing, a week and a half probation" she read.

"Amazing what you can get away with on your thousandth landing."

"Amazing indeed. What do you think I would've gotten any other day?"

"One month suspension, maybe two." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Okay, where do you want to put them?"

"Where would you have put it if I wasn't here to voice an opinion?"

"Right next to Root."

"Exactly where I would've put myself." She took the picture of her and tacked it and the notice on the wall. "How about you? Where would you like to go?"

"This your way of saying I'm about to get transferred?"

"No Trouble, it's my way of saying you can't be too careful."

Ten years ago he would have laughed and said 'When was the last time a commander was killed?' But ten years ago Root was still alive. Instead he pointed right next to Holly's picture. "Right next to you, can't think of a better way to spend eternity."

--

**A/N: Word count, not counting author's note 823. Another chapter up for you and I've hit 26 reviews. And now to thank you all: Holly25Trouble, the epitome of randomness, winged-silhouette, Troublerocks, Mojo817, sweetapplepie512, ****QueenofBookworms, sasquatch223, chocaholic4life, dancingirl28843. Oh yeah, that was like the longest list of reviewers I've ever done.**


	12. Chapter 12

Captains Alettaine and Short were sitting in an office in a abandoned warehouse in the eastside that served as Jehoden's base of operations. "Well Eta, you're in. I have to say, that went really well," He raised a beer bottle, "To Jehoden Bezant, may he rot in jail the rest of his miserable life."

"Provided we can find evidence on him." Holly added.

"Of course, but I have no doubt we will."

Their conversation was interrupted by the PA system, "Eta maverick to office 217." It said.

"Ah, goin' to see Jehoden. Good-bye." He said.

--

Jehoden sat back in a chair, "We have a huge shipment coming in from Iraq tomorrow, and I want you on the team bringin' it in. It's high profile, so _don't_ screw this up."

"Will Kalom be heading it?" Holly asked.

"No." He answered simply.

"Why?"

"Because you're new I'm gonna let that slide, but for future reference: it is not a good idea to ask too many questions. Now because I like you I am going to answer this, this time. Ida Kalom only shows up before heads start to roll."

"Okay, that all you needed?"

"Yes."

"See ya."

--

Commander Kelp drummed his fingers on his desk impatiently. She should've called ten minutes ago. "Where is she?" He muttered.

As if on cue the phone started ringing. "Hey, Eta what's up?" He said using Holly's undercover name in case anyone other than Foaly was listening.

"You really need to learn to use that caller ID of yours." The voice that answered him was not Holly's, but Alita Sobiat's.

"Sorry Alita." He said.

"I take it she hasn't called."

"No."

"Well, that's what I was calling to ask so-"

Alita was cut off by Trouble's call waiting beeping. This time he checked the caller ID. "It's her," he said before answering it. "Hello."

"Hey what's up?" Holly replied.

"Nothing much, so what do you know?"

"If Jehoden has any idea where Ida is; he's not telling me. However, I think I know how to lure her into the open."

"How?" Trouble asked.

"Something Jehoden said. Ida only shows up before heads start to roll. There's a huge shipment coming in so you need to intercept it. Ida'll come down to fix it."

"And kill a couple people." Alita added.

"Exactly, and we can get her there. That's all I've got for now more, details later. Bye Trouble, Alita."

"Bye." They both said.

Holly hit the end button and slapped her phone shut. She walked out the door without noticing the fairy standing in the back door. Jehoden smiled, so they had a snitch. Things were about to get interesting.

--

**A/N: So there you have another chapter. Like 440 something words. Bye to all you people, I feel no need to rant today.**


	13. Chapter 13

Ida's phone was vibrating on the coffee table in front of her. She checked the caller ID and answered with, "So Jehoden, what have you messed up this time?" Knowing Jehoden only called her when something was wrong.

"We have a snitch. She's going to give the coordinates for our shipment to the LEP." Jehoden replied. "What are we going to do?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"You're not goin' soft on me right?"

"I doubt this is the only snitch the LEP have inside, we can get her to give up the others."

"Might not know any a' the others."

"Doesn't hurt to ask, and if she doesn't we kill her."

"Now there's the Ida I know. I'll make sure everything goes according to plan."

"No matter what there will be a dead body by the end of this. You just had better hope it's your snitch."

Ida could almost see Jehoden cringe; he was not accustomed to death threats. It had probably been close to fifty years since he heard one.

--

Trouble was pacing in his office with the speaker phone on. He was attempting to order a pizza for himself and Captain Sobiat; they were going to be here all night coordinating the drug intercept with Holly. "One medium pizza with salami." He looked up at Alita, "You'll eat salami, right?"

"Sure." Alita replied.

"Salami's not a pizza topping." Said the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"You make hoagies there right?"

"Yes."

"You put salami on them right?"

"Yes."

"Then why can't you put the salami on my pizza."

"Because salami is not a pizza topping." By now the young fairy was struggling with his temper.

"You can't just put it on my pizza?"

"No, I have no button for salami as a pizza topping."

"Fine, I guess I'm not ordering from here. Good-bye." He hit the end button. "And that is what happens when you try someplace new."

"How late?" Alita asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How late is she?"

"Oh, seven minutes."

"It's not that unusual Trouble."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I work far more of these tha-"

She stopped short when Trouble's phone started ringing.

He hit the speaker button. "Commander Kelp."

"Hey." Holly said from the other side of the line.

"You should really try to be on time. Trouble's gettin' kinda crazy over here." Alita said.

"What'd he do this time?"

"Argued with a pizza boy because he couldn't put salami on the pizza."

"Okay Trouble, I'm here; I'm fine; I am five or so minutes late because I have more details."

"Okay, let's here them." Trouble said.

--

Holly pulled the shuttle to a halt. "Okay what is going on back there?" She yelled.

"Nothin' Eta" Someone replied.

"Better be." She started the shuttle on through the chute. So far everything had gone according to plan. Both the LEP's plan and Jehoden's plan. A couple hundred Kilos of cocaine was now sitting in the back of the shuttle with five fairies, not including herself. They were headed down E34 which connected an area right outside Baghdad to the eastside. Holly glanced down at her watch. About five more minutes of this. Provided Trouble was on time.

He was. Trouble was always on time. After piloting the shuttle for another five minutes a LEP shuttle pulled up beside them and told them to pull over.

Holly obeyed despite the objections from the rest of her crew. After pulling the ship to a stop she opened the hatch letting close to an entire LEP squad enter the already cramped shuttle, Trouble at their head.

"We've gotten some valuable Intel that this ship is carrying drugs so step aside and let us search." Trouble said.

"We ain't got no drugs." Someone said.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Step aside." Trouble said.

He did.

It took them all of thirty seconds to locate the cocaine. "Well then," Trouble started, "No drugs, huh? I think we're done here. Arrest the lot of them."

--

Alettaine stood outside a warehouse acting as doorman for this shift. He had heard about the arrest by monitoring police frequencies on his mp3. After everyone had been arrested the plan was for Eta to fake an escape and show up at this door. And that was why he was acting as doorman these couple of hours, the one job he absolutely despised, and he was doing it by choice. He would do anything for a chance to catch Ida Kalom.

On another note, Jehoden was acting strangely. Spending hours up in his office with the door locked, constantly looking over Alettaine's shoulder. The only thing he could think of was that Jehoden knew something. Though he hated to think one of the two of them had probably been found out. Who? He wasn't exactly sure, but he and Eta had to be careful.

His thoughts were interrupted when a hooded figure walked into his view. "Ah, Eta. Heard about the arrests. How did you get off?" He said loud enough for anyone around to hear.

"Idiotic LEP officer put his neutrino within reach of me. Shot him. No time to get the others though. They're on their own."

"I see." Then almost in a whisper he said. "I think Jehoden's onto us."

"What? How?" She nearly screamed.

"Quiet, Eta." He hissed.

"Sorry," She whispered, "How?"

"I don't know, but we need to go. Stay out here for now. When my shifts over we'll leave."

"Why wait?"

"Because if he doesn't know what's going on I can't risk tipping him off by ditching."

"I see, so we'll wait."

--

An elf knocked on the door to Jehoden's office. He didn't wait for ran answer before walking in. "Jehoden, you know the arrests we told ya about.?" He continued without getting an answer, "Eta's back, she escaped somehow. Talkin' t' Alettaine right now."

Now he knew it. "That little snitch." He muttered. "Get her over here, Alettaine too. If they won't come, kill 'em."

"'Course. Be back with 'em soon."

--

The door to the warehouse opened and an elf stepped out.

"You're shift over already?" Holly asked.

"No." Alettaine replied. "What do you want?" He asked turning to the elf.

"Jehoden wants to see Eta Maverick." He answered.

Alettaine turned shot a glance at Holly and she could instantly tell what it meant. A quick punch in the face to the elf that Holly did not now and her and Alettaine started running. They could hear people behind them as they navigated the streets.

A shot echoed through the night passing inches beside Holly's head.

"Damn softnoses." Alettaine muttered reaching for his gun.

Holly couldn't agree more. "Keep moving." She said.

He nodded and picked up his pace to be two steps in front of her. "Try and keep up. I can lose 'em."

Holly did her best as he ziged and zaged through the alleys. It looked as though they were doing fine until another shot passed Holly but hit Alettaine in the back. Holly skidded to a halt and turned toward the shot, gun drawn. She barely got a shot off before another struck her in the stomach. She fell to the ground on top of Alettaine, her magic gaining the boost it needed from his dwindling supply.

--

**A/N: Hey chapter 13 down. I am on 13 right? Almost 30 reviews (one more to 30), I'm happy. **

**To any random person who cares, I've got an SVU fic in the works. No real knowledge of the show needed, it being SVU and all.**

**Hey bye to you all. It snowed today, for like five minutes. It was strange. Finals start June 2, but I'm not going to have to take Spanish, Geography, or Math unless I really mess up this quarter.**

**Bye, for real this time.**


	14. Chapter 14

An hour after Holly was supposed to call even Alita was starting to get nervous. Her knowledge of the gangs and the typical officers who work them told her this meant nothing important. However, Holly was not your typical undercover agent for this kind of work, and from what Alita knew about her was always as close to on time as she could be.

So Alita had no idea what to think. Even if something was going on, Holly was not easily killed and Alettaine's presence made the odds of her getting killed minimal, but Trouble wasn't going to trust that. He was going to insist they go looking for her if she didn't call soon.

Trouble was sitting at his desk with Alita standing by the door. She didn't seem concerned. Why was that? He didn't know. No matter how hard he tried to figure out what was going on inside her head he just couldn't. She had to be at least slightly worried right? It had been an hour. He was the first to admit he knew nothing about the east side, but that couldn't be normal, could it?

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. He checked the caller ID and answered it with "You're late."

"Sorry, I didn't know the schedule." The voice that came through the phone was not Holly's or Alettaine's. It was someone he didn't recognize.

"Headset, now." He mouthed to Alita who was already slipping one on. "Who the hell is this?" he asked.

"Jehoden Bezant. You are Commander Trouble Kelp, right?"

"That I am. Where is Eta?"

"Ah, the snitch. I got a report that her and Alettaine were killed earlier tonight."

Alita covered the mich of her headset and said, "Can I talk to him?"

Trouble nodded, "One of my Captains would like to say something to you."

"Jehoden you son-of-a-bitch I hope your not afraid to die. After what you did to my mother and Eta and Alettaine you had better not think you're gettin' out of this alive. So spend the rest of you're days lookin' over your shoulder for the day one 'a my boys finally gets you."

"Ah Alita Sobiat-" that was as far as he got before Alita stepped up to Trouble's desk and hit the end button.

Trouble himself was muttering what appeared to be a string of curses under his breath. Alita was just glad he was too preoccupied to notice her mention of her mother. Before he could say anything to her she walked out of his office.

Right outside Josiah stood waiting, probably for her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I overheard your conversation with Jehoden."

Alita shot him a look that warned him not to continue if he valued his life.

However, on this particular occasion, Josiah decided to continue. "So, I was just wondering what it was that happened to your mother?"

"And why would I tell you?"

"Because whether or not you do I'm going to figure it out."

Alita sighed there was absolutely no way out of this so she might as well tell him what really happened as opposed to the LEP's version encased in the report he would no doubt read. "I was 42 at the time my mom worked at a school in the area. Kids liked her, especially kids who got mixed up in gangs pretty much by default. Jehoden decides he has gotten tired of her so sets her up to be killed during an initiation. However the kid who was supposed to kill her went to the school I went to, the one my mom taught at."

"You knew him?"

"Just to wave at in the halls. So anyway, he refused to shoot and Jehoden raised his gun and shot my mom right through the heart. Then he turned to the kid and shot him. I watched the whole thing from my window."

Josiah wanted to say something, but he couldn't figure out what to. He settled with wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Josiah, if you don't want me to break every bone in your arm I suggest you move it." Alita said.

He didn't.

Alita sighed, wrapped both hands around his wrist and threw him over her shoulder. He landed on his feet, though not with great balance. When he realized he could not stay on his feet like this he executed a back flip, with a perfect landing.

"Okay, so where did you learn that?" Alita asked.

"I was a street gymnast all through college." Josiah replied.

"You were at college about the time I was, and went to East Haven, and- Wait you were part of that amazing team out of East Haven."

"That I was. A good thing too, would have dislocated my shoulder otherwise."

"Next time I just might."

--

Holly Short sat up, sending a searing pain through her body. "Damn softnoses." She muttered "Alettaine how you doin'" When she didn't get an answer she turned toward him. "Alettaine."

Again no answer.

She put her fingers on his neck and felt for a pulse, nothing. She dropped her fingers from his neck, "Damnit." She cursed again. Then she realized she had fallen on top of him. Had she used the end of his magic? The answer was yes, and that is the conclusion Holly came to, but then she realized that the softnose had passed right through his heart. Indeed she had helped herself to the last of his magic, but it was magic that wouldn't have helped him.

She stood up, making a mental not of the street she was on so the LEP could come back for the body. In doing so she also realized that she had absolutely no idea where she was. She had to get back to the main roads. From there she could make it to Police Plaza.

--

**A/N: There you go. 980 words give or take.**

**I seriously thought about saving that whole thing with Holly at the end until the next chapter, but I figured that would be too mean. So yeah, chapter 14 up.**


	15. Chapter 15

Holly had been walking the streets for ten minutes before finally stumbling across a pay phone

Holly had been walking the streets for ten minutes before finally stumbling across a pay phone. She slipped a couple coins into it and dialed the number for Trouble's office.

Grub picked up the phone after two rings. "Commander Kelp's office."

"I need to talk to the commander now." Holly said.

"He's not here right now."

"Why not?"

"Looking for someone. Eta or something."

Frond, had she really been out that long. "Okay put me through to his cell, and get off the line."

"Got it."

A few seconds later Trouble picked up his phone. "Commander Kelp."

"Trouble it's me."

"What the-We were told you were dead." Trouble screamed.

"Is Alettaine with you?" Alita asked.

"No, he's dead." Holly answered. "Sorry."

Alita banged her fist against the car door. "Frond."

"Okay, where are you?" Trouble asked.

"16th and Kalmar." Holly replied.

"Okay so…" Trouble started.

"Ten minutes." Alita supplied.

"Ten minutes it is. Don't move. See you- Alita we are being shot at!" Trouble screamed as a shot passed through the rear window.

"Welcome to the East Side, Commander." Alita replied with a laugh, flooring the gas. "We're deep in Oyo's territory. His people don't take kindly to license plates they don't know."

"Then get us out of here."

"Working on it." She said as the needle on the dashboard reached 100 miles pre hour.

"Okay, Holly, I'm going to have to call you back." He said before hitting the end button

--

Ten minutes later a car with a shattered rear window and numerous dents in it pulled up beside the pay phone at 16th and Kalmar. A smile spread across Holly's face as she walked over to the car. Trouble rolled down the window on the driver's side. "Hey, nice to see you're alive." she said.

"You too." Trouble replied. "Now get in, you've got some work to do back at Police Plaza."

"Yessir." Holly replied with a mock salute.

--

After putting together a sketch of the one fairy she could remember back at Police Plaza and assuring at least four different fairies she would be able to identify him in a line up Holly was allowed to go home. When she opened the door to her apartment she heard the rustle of cards on a table. Only one fairy had a key to this place. "Trouble, you following me home is kind of creepy." She said walking around the corner. The bag she had been carrying involuntarily fell to the floor when she noticed the fairy sitting on her couch playing solitaire with her cards was not Trouble Kelp, but Lieutenant Sandro Almet. "How did you get in here?" She asked.

"Nice to see you too Holly." He replied.

"What did you want?" She asked deciding to forego any hope that Sandro was going to tell her how he got in.

"Where have you been?"

"A job."

"I don't remember giving you a job."

"You didn't. Captain Sobiat asked me to do her a favor."

"You told her you're still alive?"

"She figured it out on her own."

"You need to be careful around her."

"I don't care what any records you've read have said, but she is a good cop, I trust her and you and I both know Root would've."

"Okay, but from now on, I am the only one who can give you a job. We're stretched thin as it is. I can't have you working any case you like."

"Got it. Now, if you wouldn't mind, get out of my house."

--

**A/N: There you go a short chapter to combat the two that were over 1000 words.**

**Another chapter should be up, I'm hoping Tuesday, but no guarantees. **


	16. Chapter 16

Lieutenant Kieth Droin placed an open folder down on the podium. He looked up at the press corps seated in front of him and said "Okay let's get started, at the budget signing today fifteen people will be receiving pens, and yes the Chairman is actually signing with fifteen pens." He was about to continue to the next order of business when he noticed Rybeka had her hand up. "Rybeka you can't seriously have a question about the pens."

"Actually, I have a question about the pens. How is the Chairman going to sign it with fifteen pens if there's only thirteen letters in Kevin Cahartez?" Rybeka asked.

"You do realize you were the only one doing that math, only one. Well I'm sure there's something in here about that…Here we are. He is going to dot the I and cross the T, literally."

-

Three floors up, Alita was watching the briefing. "And that's when you know it's a slow day." She said. "The only thing Rybeka has to ask about is pens."

"Well it's about to pick up" Trouble remarked from her doorway.

"What happened?"

"Trial dates for Azman and Emmett have been announced."

"Then why isn't Rybeka asking about those?"

"They were only finalized two minutes ago, and Rybeka's been in the briefing room for at least five."

"Someone's gotten smart. Ya got someone tellin' Droin trial dates?"

"Yes."

"So, you seein' Holly tonight?"

"No, tonight's the dance." Trouble either didn't notice Alita's insinuation, or didn't care.

"Oh, I completely forgot. Thanks for remindin' me."

"See you there, but now I need to go now. Droin's going to be wondering why he didn't know about the trial before the briefing."

--

_Captain Holly Short was sitting on the edge of a standard Mixed Martial Arts ring in the basement of Haven Police Plaza, blood dripping from cuts in her face and her nose bent out of place. Here, under the cover story of a 'dance' organized fighting was held here once a month. It kept The People in shape, gave them chances to fight out arguments or rivalries before they put anyone in real danger, and it was fun, whether you were just watching and betting or actually in the ring._

_Trouble walked up to Holly "Here." He said handing her a cup of water._

"_Thanks." Holly said before downing the entire glass without a breath._

"_Here let me take care of those scratches." Trouble motioned for her to lean forward, and she did. Trouble brushed her hair out of her face and placed a hand over the cut letting his blue sparks zip it shut. "You did well." He said moving on to the next._

"_Yeah I suppose I did, and got the broken nose to show for it."_

_Trouble laughed. "That's all I've got left." He placed one hand on either side of her broken nose and shifted it back into place._

"_Damnit Trouble!" she screamed._

"_Would you rather I heal it on crooked?" He asked._

"_No," She conceded, "Continue."_

_He made another minor adjustment that hurt much less and then healed the cartilage back together. "There you go, all done." He said with a smile._

_-_--

Trouble chuckled at the memory. He was standing in the same place he had those three years ago, holding one cup of water while the other sat on the table next to him. He always took two, one for him, one for Holly. Today he had grabbed the second without thinking.

In the ring right now were Sharon Asada and another corporal Trouble did not recognize. Sharon was amazing, she should be Droin had trained her.

Cheers erupted as Sharon threw her opponent to the mat and he didn't rise within the count of five. Money switched hands as Sharon climbed out of the ring.

-

"Beautiful," Droin said as Sharon slid off the edge of the ring. "And barely a scratch on you."

"Barely a scratch, I'm pretty sure my nose is broken, Droin."

"You're nose is not broken, Sharon."

"Still, I'd call it more than a scratch."

"You ever seen the pros."

"When I was really little."

"I figured as much."

"So, I see why you don't let press in here." A voice yelled over the crowd; a voice he recognized as Rybeka's. "And Sharon, what are you doing hanging out with this guy."

"You two know each other?" Droin asked.

"Yeah, she's my cousin." Sharon answered.

"I knew there was a reason you annoyed me so much." Droin said to Sharon. Then, turning to Rybeka "And what exactly are _you_ doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you. Called you're office and they told me you were downstairs at the dance. I knew something was off. Lieutenant Kieth Droin does not dance."

"I see."

"So how does this whole thing go?"

"You're about to see."

-

Lieutenant Sumal was standing in the corner of the ring. He reached over the ropes into a box of name tags and drew one. "Captain Alita Sobiat." He read off the tag.

She pushed through the crowd and climbed into the ring.

"Pick your opponent" Sumal said.

She scanned the crowd for the one face she was looking for. There he was, "Josiah Crassus, show me what ya got Techie."

"I see." Rybeka said turning back to Droin. "So why call it a dance. That's bound to raise suspicion around here."

"In some People." Droin replied.

"Observant People. So, why a 'dance'"

"It started in the academy, where fighting outside class is absolutely forbidden. So they adopted the name 'dance' to keep teachers off their backs. Once it started spreading the name 'dance' just stuck."

"I should talk to you more when you're down here. A lot easier to get answers."

"Useless LEP trivia is one thing, but if you ask me about an open investigation my answer is still going to be 'no comment'. So, why did you want to see me?"

"Need to talk to Alita."

"And you call me."

"Well yes, it's late. She may be not be here. You, on the other hand will still be here, seeing as you have no life."

"You know, I've been told that, but I for one find life to be terribly overrated."

"Deep, slightly emo, actually really emo, but deep none the less."

"Exactly. So, why do you need to see Alita?"

"Someone wants to talk to her."

"That someone being…"

"What are you smoking?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying if you think I'm given you a name, you are on crack or something."

"Cocaine technically." He said sarcastically.

Her eyes narrowed into a glare, but she couldn't resist the urge to laugh. "So how long do these things normally take?" She asked motioning toward the ring.

"Depends, I thought Alita was going to wipe the floor with Josiah."

"He was a street gymnast and a boxer all through college."

"How do you know these things?"

"It's my job. So, you put you're tags in?"

"That was random."

"Did you or didn't you?"

"I did not."

"Afraid of getting beat up?"

"Afraid of sending someone to the Hospital Wing. You know, _press_."

"You that good?"

"They said I could've gone pro."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Figured my calling was the LEP. Good thing too, without me hear you would've brought Haven down many times over."

"You are overestimating my power."

"Am I?"

She put her hands behind her back and took a couple steps forward. "Well, I do think this will be a very interesting story. Hmm, have to run it past my editor."

"What do you want?"

"You to get in that ring."

Droin gave no answer.

Rybeka turned around and walked back to him. "What?"

"I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it."

"I knew it wasn't true."

Droin pulled off his jacket.

"Nice to see you came to a decision. Go kick some ass Kieth."

"And how many times have I told you not to call me by my first name?"

"Hundred give or take."

"Yet you still don't"

"Go figure."

He sighed and walked over to Sumal "Hey Sumal, I'm next." He said.

"What's going on?" Sumal asked, turning toward Droin.

"Long story."

"While I've got time- oh, wait- I don't."

-

Josiah was lying on his back, Alita's knee digging into him. "Tough keepin' up with ya, Techie." Alita said, standing up, and then helping him.

"I would say likewise Probie, but it seems rather obvious." Josiah replied.

"Since when has that stopped you?"

"True, likewise Probie."

"Hey, Alita, Rybeka needs to talk to you." Droin yelled to her.

"I'm goin'" She said sliding off the end of the ring.

"You sure you want to do this?" Sumal asked him. "Right, stupid question." He concluded noticing the look on Droin's face. "Come on."

-

"So, Rybeka, what did you need?" Alita asked.

"Someone wants to talk to you. I put her in your office." Rybeka replied

"You comin'"

"No, don't want to miss this."

Alita turned toward the ring. "What the-" She started noticing Droin in the ring. "How?"

"My fault, I will claim responsibility for this"

"Nice. You know, I might stay, depends on who's in my office."

"An Alaine Lastrich."

"Tell me what happens, but I do need to go talk to Alaine."

--

**A/N: Okay, that was really long, but I was having fun.**

**See, I said Tuesday, didn't I. And look. It's Tuesday.**

**Now, I hit thirty reviews a while ago actually. So, feel free to tell me what you think.**

**I'm going to thank the people I haven't previously thanked: my recent reviewers Lucan, Kattykat23. Holly25Trouble, whose been reviewing for a while. And ThJaFl and Baset Lemonik who alerted. Good-day**


	17. Chapter 17

Alita Sobiat placed her hand over the door knob to her office. She took a deep breath and stepped in. Sitting behind her desk was Alaine, a pixie of no more that 200, leafing through a couple case files she had left on her desk. Alita pulled the folder out from in front of Alaine and slammed it shut. "Over there." She pointed to a chair on the other side of the desk. As Alaine moved Alita walked behind her desk, pulled a key out of her pocket and opened the locked draw in her desk. Her wallet was missing. "It seems old habits die hard." She noted.

"You would know, old friend." She replied, "If I am not mistaken the gun you are hiding in your desk is illegal."

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't arrest you on the spot."

"I can deliver Jehoden Bezant to you on a sliver platter."

"You can?"

"What reason do you have not to trust me?"

"I can think of a few."

"I deserved that, but I'm not scammin' you this time."

"Okay I will go get my boss, but before I do, some ground rules. One: don't steal anything either from him or me. Two: you will only speak when spoken to. And Three: say _nothing _about the fact you and I used to know each other unless he asks. Are we clear?"

"Yes."

-

Ten minutes later Alita returned with Trouble. "Commander, this is Alaine Lastrich, Alaine, Commander Kelp." She said, "Now, Alaine says she has some information on Jehoden."

"And what information would that be?"

Alaine glanced quickly to Alita to make sure she was supposed to answer. Alita said nothing so Alaine started explaining. "I can give you the coordinates of a shipment coming in. However you will have some dots to connect yourself. You should be able to do it. I can help, but not officially. I don't want to be killed." She stood up. "Now, I need to go. Good-bye Commander, Captain Sobiat."

"The coordinates?" Trouble asked.

"Oh, don't have them on me. I'll be back in two days with them." Alita walked to the door with Alaine then waved a corporal over.

"Escort Miss Lastrich to the exit." She said, "And make sure to search her on the way out."

As they walked Alaine slipped the wallet she had already lifted from the corporal without him noticing back into his pocket.

"So how reliable will her information be?" Trouble asked.

"If she truly wants to help, reliable and easy to connect back to Jehoden."

"And if she doesn't"

"We find nothing, obviously."

"Casualties?"

"Probably not, Alaine's not that low."

"So you do know her."

"I do."

"How?"

"Used to work for me. One a' the best pickpockets we had. Until she fell in with Zima. Now she's pretty high up with Ida."

--

It had only been a day and a half before Alaine called again. Before answering she had Foaly patch it through to Trouble. "Alaine what do you need?" Alita asked.

"Get down to mercy hospital now." She said. She sounded as if she had been crying.

"What happened?" Alita asked.

"It's Jason."

"Frond," she muttered, "I'll be there as soon as possible. Don't leave." She didn't wait for a reply but hung up. She pulled a coat on and holstered an illegal gun behind her back. "Trouble, I'll call you when I know what's happenin'" She threw her headset on the desk without hanging up and left.

--

A/N: Another chapter Saturday I'm thinking. A short chapter to combat the 1500 word chapter last time.


	18. Chapter 18

Captain Alita Sobiat slammed her badge down on the front desk of Haven Mercy Hospital. "I need Jason Latsrich's room."

"323." The nurse at the desk replied.

Alita nodded to her and started that way. Third floor, prison ward was the sixth floor, so no one recognized him from arrest warrants. She tried to remember whether there were even any warrants out for him. She hoped not, things would most definitely not go smoothly if there were.

Jason Lastrich was Alaine's brother. He had been arrested ten times just since Alita had joined the LEP and had a habit of breaking parole. He wasn't a horrible guy, but his habit kept him in jail, on parole, or in rehab most of his time.

Room 323, this was it. Alita opened the door and stepped in. Inside the room was a single bed, Jason lay on it, knocked out, possibly comatose. Beside his bed stood a nurse checking the numerous machines around him, but Alaine was nowhere to be found. What could have scared her that much, that she was willing to leave Jason in this hospital alone? That was what Alita was going to figure out.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

The nurse looked up, "You family?" she asked

"No," She flashed her badge, "Captain Alita Sobiat, Haven Narcotics." So she wasn't technically narcotics, but it felt like it these last few months and narcotics was the most believable section of the LEP to show up at Jason's room.

"What does a narcotics detective want with him?"

Alita smiled, she couldn't help it. Jason was clean, for how long she wasn't sure, but he was clean. "I was asked to look in on him by an informant."

"I see."

"So what's wrong with him?"

"Shot, one of his lungs collapsed. He just got out of surgery, he should wake up soon."

"Was there a bullet?"

"Yeah, doctor saved it incase you needed it. Right on the desk over there."

She picked it up. "Do we know how he was shot?"

"Sister said it was a drive-by a bullet had grazed her shoulder, but she refused help."

"Did she stay?"

"No, left in a hurry. I think something scared her real bad."

"Thanks for your help. I'll just take this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card, "My number. Call me when he wakes up."

"Sure."

--

Alita was walking through Police Plaza, headed toward Josiah's office, talking to Trouble on her phone. "Yeah, he's stable."

"So, what about Alaine?" Trouble asked.

"Not there, probably long gone from Haven by now. Didn't leave a contact number or anything."

"She's that scared."

"And for good reason, this is Ida we're talkin' about. She's lucky she's not dead."

"You sure it's Ida?"

"Damn sure."

"Okay, that means we've got to find Alaine."

"Definitely. Show her picture around, stick to bus stations, airports and the like. She's not stickin' around Haven. Send a picture to Atlantis and any city bigger then Vendal. Don't waste time in rural areas; she has a fear of small towns."

"Got it. What're you doing?"

She pushed open the door to Josiah's office. "I'm gonna see what Josiah can do with this bullet." She hung up and turned to Josiah.

"I hear you have a bullet for me." He said.

"I do." She handed it to him.

"It's really banged up."

"I know that. Will you be able to match it to a gun?"

"Sure."

"How 'bout ringer prints?"

"Again I say, it's really banged up."

"Can you?"

"Most likely, if there are any." Alita had expected that. Josiah could probably get a print off air if there was nothing else. "So, what is this about?" Josiah asked.

"The red stuff on the bullet, it's blood. I just came from the hospital, figure it out. I need to see Trouble."


	19. Chapter 19

Holly Short walked up the steps of Haven Police Plaza. She had been called in by The Council to give a statement about her time undercover and decided to stop by to see Trouble. Now at the top of the staircase she walked toward his office.

As she passed Alita Sobiat's office someone grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into the doorway. Trouble didn't look at her as he continued his conversation with Alita Sobiat, his hand still firmly around Holly's waist. "So trial of Azman and Emmett's in a week.-Hello Holly, didn't expect to see you here-DA wants to prep with you at some point before then, Alita." Trouble dropped his hands to his sides and turned to Holly.

"So do you have plans for dinner?" Holly asked. It was Tuesday. They ate dinner together on Tuesday if she was anywhere near The Plaza, but her didn't know she was going to be here. So if he had plans that would be okay.

Trouble's look was apologetic, "Actually I do. I have a date."

"Oh." Was all Holly said, trying to keep the disappointment off her face and out of her voice.

"You see it's this lovely girl. We eat dinner together a lot, normally on Tuesday. People are actually starting to talk about us."

This time Holly smiled, "Anyone I know?" she asked.

"Oh yes, very well."

"Good, I'll be seeing you later." She turned and started to walk away, but stopped and turned back around, "While I'm here anything I could be doing?"

"If you want to stick around you could help us find an informant."

"Of course."

Alita chuckled. "And you wonder why people talk."

Trouble opened his mouth to talk, but was cut off by his cell phone. "Commander Kelp," He answered it, "Got it, Captain Sobiat will be there as soon as traffic will allow. Make sure they don't try to book her…I realize you arrested her, but I am telling you to look the other way." He slammed his phone shut. "Security picked up Alaine Lastrich hopping a turnstile at the bus station in The East Side."

"Holly and I are gone." Alita said.

"I'll call you when Josiah gets results."

--

Alita and Holly showed up at the bus station within twenty minutes. After arguing with the guard there Alaine Lastrich was released. Holly stood off to the side as Alita talked to Alaine.

Alita was trying to convince Alaine to stay behind. So far she had refused, "Not gonna happen. I know you guys. No one cares that Jason's been shot. No one's gonna help me stay alive with Ida after me. The only chance I have to stay alive is to get out of town, fast."

"You could say that to anyone else, anyone else Alaine, but I know how it is. We came from the same place."

"No, you knew once, but you've forgotten. LEP does that to ya. And I seen The People you talk too-"

"Are you following me now?"

"Ida's orders."

"For how long?"

"Couple years."

"Frond, that's just great. If Ida's got someone watchin' me then for sure Oyo does and Usiku for that matter." Alita took a couple calming breaths. "Okay, could you stay for a little longer? Josiah' seein' what he can get off the bullet."

"That techie from The Heights? No way I'm trustin' him-"

"I haven't got anyone else who can do it. And I can guarantee you he's not messin' with the results." Her temporary calm had all but disappeared now.

"Even if I did think he could get somethin' off the bullet I can't stay."

"You're just gonna leave your brother in the hospital."

"I can't do anything for him right now. Hey, have you got anything to write on?"

Alita tore a page out of her notepad and handed it and a pen to Alaine.

"Thanks." Alaine said scribbling a phone number down. "Have Jason call me when he can. And since I know you're gonna anyway, call me if your techie gets anything."

"Where you headed?" Alita asked.

"Vendal."

"You're gonna take a bus all the way to Vendal."

"No, I'm not an idiot. I'm takin' the bus a little ways outside Haven and then hoppin' on a plane. I know you're watchin' the airports around here."

"That would be the bus you want. Good-bye Alaine."

"Bye Alita. Better hear from my brother soon."

"Soon as possible."

--

**A/N: Sorry it's been forever since I updated. I was in Massachusetts and having slight writers block, but I'm better now.**


	20. AN

A/N: Okay I know I'm not supposed to do this, but get over it

**A/N: Okay I know I'm not supposed to do this, but get over it. This A/N is all the chapter is.**

**I'm putting every one of my stories on hold. Probably until the middle of August. This is because I'm getting close to the end of my original story so I told my friend I'd try to have it finished by the end of the summer. Also I just got back from Alaska and forgot to bring a notebook, never doing that again, so my mind's about to explode unless I can get these ideas down on paper, or on Word.**

**That's that. I'm going to have a note similar to this at the top of my profile page. When I start typing again that note will change to tell you I have.**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey I'm back. Can't believe that only took two weeks. So on to Chapter 20.**

--

"Josiah what've you got for me?" Alita asked, stepping into his office.

Josiah's eyes didn't move from his computer. "I have been up all night working on this bullet. So I do believe the better question is what do _you_ have for _me_?"

Alita slammed a cup of coffee down next to him. "Now, what've you got?"

"Nothing-"

Alita reached out for the cup of coffee but Josiah slid it across his desk to his other hand.

"Yet." He finished.

One of Josiah's many machines dinged.

"Fingerprint match, I need Kelp." Josiah said without checking the computer. How he managed to tell the dings of his separate machines apart Alita did not know.

"Josiah, you have anything yet?" A voice asked from the doorway.

"Commander your timing is impeccable. I just got a finger print match." Josiah said.

Alita had managed to find which of Josiah's monitors held the name of the fairy that the fingerprint on the bullet belonged to. "This isn't good." She said.

"What?" Josiah asked.

"It's not Ida who ordered that hit. I think we just stumbled into the start of a gang war."

Josiah read the name off the screen, "How do you know?"

"I know this guy. He doesn't work for Ida." Alita couldn't believe she wasn't suspicious before. If Ida wanted someone dead they ended up dead and Alaine wouldn't have mentioned Ida at all if she really had ordered the hit. This guy on the other hand didn't have much experience with killing. Or maybe the point wasn't to kill them.

Alita shook her head to clear her thoughts. Speculating wouldn't help. She'd know soon enough.

--

Finding the guy she was looking for was a drawn out process, one you couldn't just bypass by knocking some heads together. Yes, finding him was hard, unless you knew how to go about it, and know how to Alita did.

There was a warehouse in The Lower East Side, that had originally been owned by the government but some budget cuts caused them to leave it. Since then Usiku had taken over and now used it as a storage facility. It was their largest one and as such always being monitored, personally, one of his right hands.

The fairy she was looking for was a pixie by the name of Deddy. He was one of Usiku's right hands.

This was the reason Alita was here. The quickest way to bypass ranks and get straight to the top was in this warehouse, and no it wasn't the guns. It was the elves who worked there.

She flipped on the PA system so everyone in the warehouse could hear her. She pulled her badge out of her pocket and stepped to the middle of the floor and screamed, "Haven LEP, this is a bust. Everyone on that wall."

Most moved, some scrambled to an exit, and a couple stood to fight, drawing their guns. She took both down before they even got a shot off. "Anyone else wanna try that?" she asked.

No one did.

"Good." Alita said slipping her badge back into her pocket. "Now, any of you wanna run off I'm not gonna stop you, but I have my entire precinct out there waiting for you, just a fair warning." Alita paused for a minute; normally someone had stepped in by now. Usiku was rather protective and made sure his right hands were to. It derived from the fact that anyone could easily trade information for a deal and Usiku was a not going to take that chance.

"Also, I'm givin' away a deal here." She continued. "It goes-"

"Alita don't bother with them. They're not what you came for."

Alita smiled, "Well, it took ya long enough Deddy."

"I had some business to wrap up."

"Okay, Hands behind you back Deddy; you're under arrest."

--

Deddy stared into the mirror of a LEP interrogation room, Holly and Trouble staring across the room at him. "All that technology and you can't come up with better monitoring than this window." He said.

"No one's back there Deddy." Trouble said.

"Oh no, I bet you Alita's standing right there, inches from this mirror, watching the whole thing."

"In which case you'd be wrong." Holly said.

Trouble moved to the door and pushed it open, "Do you want to come see?"

"No I'm good." Deddy replied.

-

"I _really _wish he wouldn't do that." Alita said. She and Josiah had been watching through the one way window.

"Definitely, one day someone's going to call his bluff." Josiah said.

-

"Now that we have the matter of the mirror settled, you know why you're here." Trouble said.

"Actually no I don't."

"That wasn't a question." Holy chimed in.

"You know how long you're going to be in prison?" Trouble asked.

Deddy said nothing.

"Now that, that was a question." Holly said.

-

"Think they've done this before?" Josiah asked.

Of course Holly and Trouble had, but because of Holly's recent transfer she had started using the name Eta Maverick. "No idea." Alita said.

-

"So Eta," Trouble started, "How long do you think he's going to be in prison?"

"The attempted murder of a LEP informant, I'm thinking century and a half." Holly answered.

"Like I told Alita, I didn't kill anyone." Deddy said.

"Then maybe you can explain how we found your finger prints on a bullet lodged inside Jason Lastrich."

"Fairies come to me when their guns aren't firing right and I fix it, maybe that's how. Or maybe I sold the case of bullets he used, I inspect everything I sell."

Trouble and Holly weren't convinced.

-

But Alita's conviction was starting to waver, "He might just be telling the truth." She said.

--

**A/N: So there you have it. Yay!**


	22. Chapter 21

Josiah looked over at Alita, "What did you just say?"

"I'm sayin' that Deddy might be tellin' the truth." Alita replied. She had been so happy to get a match that she had ignored the fact that it just didn't make any sense.

Josiah reached up and turned off the audio from the interrogation room. "Explain yourself. If it has merit I'll get Kelp."

"Well let's start with Deddy does inspect everything, down to every single bullet. Also, in the decades I've known Usiku and him niether has never once put a hit out on someone, roughs 'em up a bit, but never kills 'em."

"They didn't kill Jason."

"Oh, but they tried."

"You think he should walk? Because it sounds to me like he confessed to illegal arms dealing."

Alita looked up at the clock on the wall, "He did, but, seeing as it's been 26 minutes Deddy's lawyer will be here in four. Then we'll have to let him go. In the mean time I would suggest we figure out who he sold those bullets to."

"Yeah, I don't think we're going to be able to do that."

Alita looked through the window into interrogation. A fourth fairy had entered, and Alita recognized him as Deddy's lawyer. "Audio, now."

Josiah flipped a switch.

"…His council." The lawyer said. "This interview is over and unless you're going to indict him we're leaving." Without waiting for a response from Trouble he motioned for Deddy to stand up and walked out the door.

After the two had left Holly turned to Trouble and said, "That sucked."

Trouble's response was interrupted by Alita's voice over the PA system, "Commander, could I talk to you for a minute?"

--

Trouble closed the door behind him, "What is this about Alita?"

"It wasn't Deddy, the more I think about it the more it makes sense."

"It does?"

Alita started pacing and tried her best to explain her thinking to Trouble. When she finished her pacing came to a stop and she looked up at Trouble. "So?"

"So, I'm not sure what to think."

Alita sighed, things weren't going well, and it was all her fault. If she hadn't insisted it was Deddy everyone would still be looking for someone working for Ida instead of allowing him to get away. Then a smile spread across her face, she had a plan. "What if I can prove it, well almost."

"What are you getting at?"

"Send the interrogation tape to a profiler. Deddy's definitely not skilled enough a liar to fool a trained profiler."

"You taped the interrogation?"

"It's procedure. I figured telling Josiah not to would raise some unwanted questions and no one looks at them after they're done. Trust me, nothin' to worry about."

"Okay, but I don't want you sending that tape to just anybody. One, Holly can't be recognized and two, I'm not even supposed to be involved in any cases like this."

"Doesn't Foaly have some training?"

"Yes, started taking a class a while ago."

"Okay, let's go."

--

Alita gazed at a blown up image of Deddy during his interrogation on one of Foaly's computer screens. Foaly was watching it for the third time and Alita was getting impatient. "Foaly, what do you think?"

"Telling the truth. He didn't do it."

"Are you qualified to make that assumption?" Trouble asked.

Foaly looked surprised and slightly hurt at Trouble's question, "Of course I'm qualified. Look, right here where he's explaining how his fingerprints got on the bullet, he looks down and to the left. Indicating he's-"

"Foaly, we don't need the details, you think your qualified you are." Alita said.

"Well, you were right." Trouble said.

"Yeah, but it means we're back to square one, and without hope of anything useful from our single piece of evidence." Alita said.


	23. Chapter 22

"There has to be something else

"There has to be something else. We can't not have a single piece of evidence." Alita said. She was pacing the length of her office, trying to come up with something that would help.

She came to a halt when her phone started ringing.

"Captain Sobiat." She answered it.

"Captain Sobiat this is Haven Mercy Hospital I am calling to tell you that Jason Lastrich just woke up."

"Don't let him leave. I'll be there soon." She didn't wait for a response but hung up and redialed for Trouble.

"Commander Kelp." He said.

"Kelp, Jason just woke up. I'm headed to the hospital right now." Alita said.

"Okay, let's see if he wants to talk."

She hoped he did, unlikely as it was.

--

Jason Lastrich opened his eyes when the door was opened, "Alita, what are you doing here?"

"I heard you were up so I came to see how you were doing. How do you feel?" Alita answered.

"Like I've been shot."

"Understandable." They waited in silence for a while before Jason broke it.

"Alita just ask me so I can refuse."

"Ask what?"

"To give a statement."

"In due time, thought you might want to talk to your sister first."

"She woulda split after getting me checked in here."

"And she did, but we tracked her to bus station and she gave me a number for you to call when you woke up." She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him along with her phone.

He dialed and waited for her to pick up, "Hey Alaine I just called to say I was okay…"

Alita didn't bother to listen to the conversation. She turned to the nurse checking up on him. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"He's stable, but it'll still be a couple days before we release him."

So she had time before he disappeared to Vendal with his sister. "Could you put a guard on his room, whoever tried to kill him might try again."

"Of course captain, anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"Alita," Jason called, "Alaine wants to know if you found a print on the bullet."

"Yes Deddy's, but as you know it wasn't him." She replied, loud enough for Alaine to hear through the phone.

Jason chuckled at Alaine's reply and said to Alita, "She says she knew you couldn't do it."

--

Three days later Jason was released from the hospital and with him refusing to talk to the police and nothing new anywhere else the only thing Alita could do for him was make sure he got out of the city safely. Luckily, her miniscule witness protection budget did have enough for one bus and plane ticket.

"Here," she said handing them to him, "This bus will take you to an airport outside the city, and from there you get on a shuttle to Vendal. Your sister is waiting for you there. Got it?"

"Got it." He said.

--

**A/N: That was short. Oh well. Just so you know this isn't ending anytime soon. So, continue reading.**


	24. Chapter 23

It had been three months since Jason was shot, three months since he and his sister disappeared to Vendal and three months without a single lead. It had been classified as a cold case, but Alita would not give up.

It was said that everyone had one case that stayed with them, one that, no matter how had you tried, was personal and that you couldn't let go. For Alita this was that case, the case file, thin and incomplete as it was, still sat on her desk.

Near everyone else had given up on it. Trouble still did a little when he could, which was rarely, and Josiah helped out too. For a rich techie from The Heights he did okay when she needed back up for a meeting in what he called her criminal underworld.

A chill was in the air when she left Police Plaza to grab a bite to eat. She avoided the greasy fast food that most places around the plaza served and walked to a small pizza place seven blocks down. It was at the door that Alita realized someone was following her.

She spun around and found herself just a few feet from Alaine Lastrich.

Alaine shook her head, "Slipping are we Alita, couple years ago you woulda picked me up a block out."

"Alaine, what are you doing here?"

"It's Jason. He was arrested."

"In Vendal?"

Alaine managed a nod.

"That's _way_ outside my jurisdiction. What did you think I'd be able to do for him?"

"I wasn't really sure it's just-"

"Well, I can't do anything." She snapped.

"They're gonna kill him. Already did the same to someone else and he's next."

"Is he high?"

She shook her head furiously, "No, went to see him myself. Bring him down here and talk to him if you don't believe me."

"Okay, I might be able to get interview with him. Have to run it by Kelp."

--

"Alita, you have your interview. Depending on what it turns up I'll look at transferring him." Trouble said.

"Thank you Commander." Alita said.

--

Alita flew up to Vendal instead of getting Jason transferred down to Haven for a day or two. It wouldn't take long for someone on the inside to kill him. She pushed open the door to the visitor's room. "I assume Alaine has filled you in on what I'm here for."

He nodded.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Four days ago a guy got into a fight with a guard and they put him in Iso."

"Not that unusual."

"I know. I've done enough time, but what happened two days later isn't. Two days later they carried him out, dead."

"And what makes you think you're next."

"I got caught in the middle of a fight and they had to clear it with the warden before puttin' me in Iso. The only reason I'm not there now is because you said you were comin' up. Can you help? All I want's a transfer, maybe Atlantis."

"I'll see what I can do, but this isn't my jurisdiction. Vendal isn't even on Haven's side of the line." When the LEP was formed the first council chairman divided The Lower Elements in half by drawing a line on a map. Everyone on the east side of the line reported to Haven's commander and everyone on the west Atlantis's.

--

Alita caught a flight back to Haven as soon as she left the prison and made sure Trouble had time to talk to her. She had filled him in on what Jason had said and he made a call to the Atlantis Commander. From what she could hear it didn't go well for Jason.

"I'm sorry Alita, but I can't do anything. The Commander wants something more concrete than the word of a junkie." Trouble explained.

"He wasn't arrested on drug charges." Alita said.

"I know, but he was before."

"Then send someone undercover, I'll go."

Trouble sighed, "Alita, it's not our side of the line. Undercover operations on that prison are no more my jurisdiction than transferring him. We're not even sure if someone died, much less if he was murdered. There's nothing you can do."

"What if I can prove they were murdered?"

"That _might_ be a different story. It all rides on what the Atlantian Commander says."

--

**A/N: Hey, it might be a while before I update again. I'm headed to MI for a while next week. So enjoy this chapter. God, I can't believe I'm almost at 25 chapters.**


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Woot! Chapter 25 peoples. Sort of.**

Alita Sobiat raised her fist to knock on Josiah's office door, but before she could she heard his voice.

"Come on in Alita." He said before pushing a button to open the door. "What can I do for you today?"

"I need to check records for the prison up in Vendal." Alita said.

Josiah started banging keys, "I take it the warden refused to grant you access."

"Why else would I be down here." Alita looked over Josiah's shoulder to see that he had already hacked the system. "So you can just get into anyone's computer?"

"No. This is highly illegal. In fact, I'm not even doing it right now."

"If anyone asks."

"Exactly. Here we go. What are you looking for?"

"Recent death."

"I got a death in the last two weeks, a Rashan Mallien. Cause of death listed as infection."

"Family?"

"Next of kin is his mother. She lives on Haven's East Side. You should be able to get her to let us exhume the body."

"Not gonna work. No one talks to the police out there."

"If anyone can get them to it's you, you do speak their language."

When Alita read the address of Rashan's mother's apartment she let off a string of curses.

"What's wrong?" Josiah asked.

"This is _really_ close to where I used to live." Her chances for getting the body exhumed just shrank to nearly impossible; chances were she hadn't been forgotten. She had to try though.

--

Alita Sobiat knocked on the door to Anaya Mallien's apartment. After the door was opened she said, "Anaya Mallien, I'm-"

"Alita Sobiat" Anaya finished bitterly.

Alita winced. Definitely hadn't been forgotten. She knew it was too much to hope for. Everyone hated informants and no one could see the distinction between them and her. "Can I come in?"

"No."

That was to be expected. "It's about your son."

At those four words she stepped to the side to let Alita in. "What about my son?"

"I believe the cause of his death may have been falsified and I'd like to be able to prove that to take down the cop who did it."

"Police take care a' they're own, no matter what they done. You don't want his body for that."

"And if I did."

"You had better find another way t' prove it. You are not diggin' up my son's grave."

Alita knew an argument was useless. "Sorry I've wasted your time." She turned to leave.

"And Alita," Anaya called before she got far. "I'd be careful who you're showin' your face to around here-"

"'cause Oyo's got a hit out on me." Alita finished for her.

"It ain't just Oyo."

"Neva' has been. It's just Oyo I'm worried about."

--

"Foaly open this door." Alita said banging on the door to Section Eights operations booth.

"Captain Sobiat, to what do I owe the pleasure." Foaly replied with a slight tome of mocking. He hit a button and the door slid open.

"I need a favor."

"And this favor would be against LEP protocol?" If it was not she would be asking Josiah, not someone like him who couldn't be fired if Trouble got word of it.

"It is and it involves Holly Short."

"Well, I'm in. What do you need?"

--

**A/N: Well that was rather short, but I wanted to get it up as soon after I got back as possible. Because I know you were all just dying without this chapter. Not the sarcasm.**


	26. Chapter 25

"So, what do you need me to do

"So, what do you need me to do?" Foaly asked.

"I need you to mess with some records."

"For which of Holly's aliases?"

"You catch on fast ponyboy. Eta."

Being that that was the closest thing to a compliment anyone ever got from Alita Sobiat he let 'ponyboy' slide. Instead he made no comment as he opened up Eta Maverick's police profile. "And what do you need me to put in?"

"A history of violence and a couple assault charges."

"And why am I doing this?" Foaly asked as he filled in the new information.

"The less you know the less you have to answer for if this goes south."

"I would still like to know what I am helping you do."

"I'm following up on a lead in Vendal."

"The prison thing?"

"Damn, how many know about that?"

"Just me."

"Listening in again are we."

"I'm done. I assume you know where to find Holly."

"Way to change the subject and yes I do know where to find Holly."

--

Alita explained her plan to Holly and drummed her fingers on the table as Holly thought it over.

"So you want me to go undercover at this Vendal prison to prove that they're killing people."

Alita sighed, "In a nutshell, yes. You can say no. If you do I'll go myself."

"I'll go; I haven't had anything to do lately."

"Got it. With Foaly and I working together we can send you up as a transfer. So we won't have to deal with prints. You should get a phone call every three hours so call me."

Holly nodded, "And Trouble?"

"He's not in on it. Can't have his head on the chopping block if something happens."

"Good thinking, when do we leave?"

"Right now if you're ready."

"Let's go."

--

Holly, being the best shuttle pilot around, had taken the controls when she realized Alita didn't know much. "You're supposed to be a prisoner." Alita said.

"And when we near Vendal you can take the controls. I trust you know how to land the shuttle."

"Yes."

"Good."

Ten minutes later Holly buckled herself from the pilot's seat and turned to Alita, "We've entered Vendal airspace take the controls." She took a seat in the back and slipped her hands into the handcuffs sitting there.

Alita managed to land the shuttle without any major mishaps. After that she walked over to Holly, motioned for her to stand up and said, "Ready."

Holly nodded.

--

Trouble was staring down at his phone. Holly's number was going straight to voicemail. She was probably had a job. He told himself. Nothing to be worried about.

Then he remembered Alita and her obsession with that prison. He started dialing her number.

She picked up, "What d'ya need."

"You still following up on that Vendal thing?"

"No, hit a dead end."

"Okay, that's all."

"Bye Kelp."

Trouble hit the end button, but he wasn't completely convinced. He'd need to keep a close eye on Alita.

--

Alita scribbled down another time on her notepad. Six hours under and Holly had no problems. Alita was starting to wonder if she was just paranoid. So fast to except Jason's story as the truth that she looked too hard for something to back it up.

Three and a half hours later Holly hadn't called. Alita hadn't eaten all day so she grabbed her phone in case Holly called and went across the street for some food. When she got back Trouble was waiting at the door for her. "My office, now." He said.

This was not good, Alita could tell.

"What is this about?" Alita asked.

"Close the door." Trouble replied.

She did.

Trouble threw her notepad onto his desk, open to the page she had been scribbling notes about Holly on. "What is going on?"

Alita started to explain.

--

**A/N: Sorry this took a while.**


	27. Chapter 26

Holly Short was pacing her tiny cell in Isolation

Holly Short was pacing her tiny cell in Isolation. She had lost track of how long she had been locked in here, but she knew it was hours. Hours with bright lights boring down on her and nothing to eat or drink. She stopped and turned toward the door, "Could I get a glass of water?" She screamed for the tenth time.

And, for the tenth time, no one answered.

She went back to her pacing.

--

Trouble closed the notepad and handed it back to Alita. "So you're telling me you sent Holly on an unauthorized mission to Vendal without telling anyone." He said.

"That about sums it up." Alita replied.

"And now she's late on her call?" Trouble asked.

"Yes?"

"How late?"

"About two hours."

"Get your car. You and I are going to Vendal."

--

After three hours in a car Trouble and Alita were nearing Vendal. "Soon someone's going to start askin' where you are. You should probably tell Droin some of what's goin' on so he can deal with it." Alita said.

Trouble nodded and made the call.

"Lieutenant Droin." He answered.

"Droin, Alita and I are headed to Vendal. Undercover operative went dark five hours ago. We need to figure out what's going on." Trouble said.

"Why did you just tell me that?"

"So you can keep the press away form it and anyone else who happens to ask."

"Kelp, I'm sure I've mentioned this, but just in case I haven't remember this: my job works best when I am the least informed one in whatever room I happen to be in."

"Sorry, but now you know so keep everyone away from it."

"Okay, when do you think you'll be back?"

"Not sure. If someone asks make up a number."

"Got it. Good bye Kelp." Droin hung up and placed the phone on his desk.

"Well, that was interesting." Someone said from his doorway. "Something you don't want to know about. I wonder what it could be."

He looked up to see Rybeka standing in his doorway. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough."

"And the reason Corporal Calden did not tell me you were here?"

"You were on the phone."

Droin sighed; he and his assistant would have to have a talk.

Rybeka opened her mouth to ask a question but before she could say a thing Droin cut her off.

"No, I will not answer a single question you have about what you just heard." Droin said without looking at her. "And you can talk to whoever you want I doubt you'll find anything. He said sensing what she was about to do.

--

Trouble flashed his badge at the entrance to the prison, "Commander Trouble Kelp, I need to see your warden."

"And why do you need to see the Warden?" The guard asked.

"One of your prisoners Eta Maverick."

"I'll take you to the warden."

The guard knocked on the warden's office door. "What is it?" the warden asked.

"Haven Commander Kelp is here to see you."

"Send him in."

Trouble and Alita walked into the room, "Now I need to get back to my plaza so I'm going right into the important part. One of my officers is undercover in your prison and I would like her back."

"The officers name?"

"She'll be under Eta Maverick."

"Ah, the girl in Iso."

"Iso? Why?"

"Punched a guard, now I'll get her for you. Have a seat it'll only be a couple minutes."

"You look like death." Trouble said rushing to Holly's side as she walked into the room. "How long has she been in Iso?" he asked turning to the warden.

"Eight hours." The warden replied.

"She can barely stand."

"Dehydration, Trouble." Holly said.

"Eight hours with nothing to drink?"

"Apparently, I lost track of time."

Trouble turned back to the warden, "Be expecting an investigation into your establishment here."

The Warden nodded, "You are of course welcome to do that." The was not the first time this prison had been investigated, but nothing was ever turned up. "Anything else you need?"

"Yes, a visit with another of your prisoners, Jason Lastrich." Alita said.

"I will arrange it."

"Off camera." She added.

"Of course, it is the law."

"Doesn't mean you follow it."

--

"Alita, what are you doing here?" Jason asked as he walked into the visitor's room.

"Came to tell you an investigation is started of this prison." Alita said.

"What'd you do?"

"Not important. What is is weather you have rethought this decision about giving us information."

"I figure you've earned a lead. Now, I assume you want Jehoden to get Ida, but Jehoden would never rat on Ida, but if you look higher in the scheme of things than Ida you will find someone who will."

"Higher up? Anyone in particular?"

"No, that's all you've got to go on, I give you more I end up havin' t' testify. And that is not somethin' that's gonna happen. Higher than Ida, remember that."

--

**A/N: sorry it's been seriously forever since I updated. Here you go. Yes I promise this ends at some point, and it should be a good one. I hope.**

**Anyway, I started school again like two weeks ago. So updates will be further between than you got used to over summer.**

**I might just have to write another Twilight fic at some point. So if you read it and liked it you can be expecting another. **


	28. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey. I know it's been forever. Updates will be further and further between. What with school and I might be moving, again.**

**--**

'_Higher than Ida.' _Jason's words were written on the board in Alita's office. The technology was similar to a mud man Smart Board and not that much more advanced than one. She picked up a pen and tapped a color on the tool bar at the top, changing the color from blue to black.

Higher up than Ida. Zima Maith maybe. She scribbled the name down on the board. Zima was dead though. She had the autopsy on her desk, and Holly and Trouble had seen the body. She put a strike through it.

Family, Zima have any family? She wrote that on the board. If he did they'd have as much if not more say than Ida, provided they chose to use it. They would know something, it was almost guaranteed. She tapped another button the toolbar and voice recognition was activated. "Search," she said, "Case file MHAV-3622, Zima Maith."

The computer pulled it up.

"Next of kin."

'None listed,' the computer read. That ruled out family.

Walking back up to the board she put a strike through 'family'. Could it possibly be that there was truly someone higher up than Ida, someone know one knew about. Highly unlikely but she wrote it on the board anyway.

If there was someone higher than Ida she would know it. Ida had been in charge of this drug ring longer than she had been LEP. If someone other than Ida had taken over Usiku would have known it. And since she gathered a good deal or Usiku's information she would too. If someone had taken over it would have been messy and for sure she would've heard something about it. She put a strike through that.

Jason might've just been messing with her. Again not likely. That prison was truly corrupt and Jason was truly grateful that she had opened an investigation into it.

No he had to mean something by it. What she wasn't sure, but he meant something by it. She walked up to the board and wrote, on top of everything else she had written 'I am nowhere' and underlined it three times.

--

**A/N: for those of you unfamiliar with a smart board. I can't explain it. Google it.**


	29. Chapter 28

An hour later, Alita was still staring at the board in her office. Her phone rang. "Sobiat," she answered.

"Captain Sobiat," it was the lieutenant in charge of narcotics "Can you come to interrogation for a bit, we need your expertise."

"On my way. What's going on?" Alita asked, already half way down her hall.

"Patrol signaled for a car with a broken taillight to pull over, and he led the LEP into a chase," the lieutenant explained.

"Just for a broken taillight?"

"He thought he was being pulled over for having cocaine in his car."

"Did he have cocaine in his car?"

"Couple kilos of it."

"Sounds like you case is pretty airtight. What's your problem?"

"He won't give us a name."

"You try prints?"

"Burned 'em off."

"DNA?"

"Waiting to see what you could do, before we try."

Alita Sobiat pushed open the door, slamming her phone shut. She gave a quick nod to the lieutenant. She turned and looked through the one-way window. "Well, this is certainly interesting," Alita muttered, "I know who this guy is. Commander Kelp's gonna want to know."

"Who is he?" the lieutenant asked.

"Dagger," she tried, with little success, to hide the contempt in her voice as she spat out the name, "One of Oyo's right hands, though it's gonna be hard to pin anything that that entails on him."

"You try, I'll get Commander Kelp over here."

Alita pushed open the door and walked into the interrogation room. "I hear you won't give us your name," she said, "No matter, I know it all the same. So Dagger, what've you got to say?"

Alita got no reply from him.

"Well that's fine. I have my ways of making you talk."

This time Alita did in an answer, of sorts. "I'm no snitch," Dagger said.

"Of course not, dangerous thing to be where you come from. What does Oyo do to informants? Can't imagine it to be fun," A smile spread across Alita's face, "Now there's an idea," Alita pulled out her cell phone, "Couple calls and the entire East Side thinks you're a snitch. How long do you think you'll last, two maybe three days?"

"No one trusts the word of a traitor Alita."

Alita banged her hands on the table in front of her. "Traitor?" she yelled, but when she continued she had collected herself, the Commander was probably watching by now. There was no need for anyone to get hurt, yet, "You don't know what loyalty is, much less a traitor. You pretend that you're loyal to your neighborhood, to your friends, your People, but when someone is killed no one will talk, loyalty to the killer trumps loyalty to the victim. When someone decides to run with a different gang you never speak again…" Alita trailed off. She knew how to get Ida and most everyone under her. The East Side's mixed-up sense of loyalty had suddenly become her best friend, "Well, I can see you're not gonna talk, but if you change your mind feel free to call. You'll get a phone call, maybe. We're very bad about remembering those things."

Alita walked out of the room and turned to Trouble. "I know how to do it," she said.

"You do?" Trouble asked. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah, I've gotta talk to Usiku. He'll know what Oyo's been up to."

"Now, I don't know much about the East Side," Trouble started, "But wouldn't Oyo know more about what he himself is doing than Usiku."

"Yes, but if I start climbin' that ladder without any prep from my contacts I'm likely to get killed before I get anywhere near Oyo, and if I manage to, Oyo's likely to stab me before I can say anything."

"Stab?"

"Yes, Oyo isn't very fond of guns."

"Strange trait in an arms dealer. However I was referring slightly more too why does he want to kill you?"

"Why wouldn't he want to kill me? I'm LEP and before I was I worked for his rival."

There was a specific reason, but Trouble respected that Alita wasn't going to tell him, "Take some backup, can't have you getting killed."

"If I'm gonna get killed, backup will do nothin' but get killed too. No back up. Oh, and make sure we hold him," Alita said pointing to Dagger, "I'm gonna need him."

"We can't hold a man on the name Dagger," Trouble replied.

"His real name's Deon Butler, and if he makes bail on his possession charge search him for a weapon. I'm sure he's got a knife somewhere."

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**A/N: this is more like it. About 750 words. I'm getting pretty close to the end, no more than three chapters, not counting a possible epilogue. Merry very late Christmas a New Year.**


	30. Chapter 29

Holly's cell phone was ringing. She checked the caller I.D before answering it. "Hey Trouble what do you need?"

"Alita Sobiat's about to go get herself killed. She's gonna leave the plaza in ten minutes. Could you follow her? She declined my offer for back up and that means I can only send someone who's technically not with the LEP," he replied.

"What's she trying to do?"

"If we're lucky, she's about to hand us Ida."

"I'll follow her; make sure she doesn't get killed. Can't imagine it'll be boring, Alita does have a tendency to put herself in near death situations."

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Alita figured her only chance of surviving long enough to talk to Oyo was if she went straight to the top, didn't bother dealing with anyone under Oyo himself. After about a week and three near misses with death she had found Oyo. She had learned he had a meeting with one of his contacts from the Atlantis that was in for the week. The two were meeting on a bridge over the underground river on 34th street.

Oyo walked up to the river. He moved slowly, as if he was limping and when he cleared the crowds she could tell that he was.

"I see you're still limpin'." She said, walking up beside him. Back before she had joined the LEP Alita had had a run in with Oyo. In which she came out unscarred but a clean shot through Oyo's right leg fried some of his nerves beyond repair, even magical repair and left him with a permanent limp.

She couldn't resist, she had to annoy him a little more about it. "How long's it been, nine years?"

"And two months." Oyo added.

"Still counting? That's just a little pathetic."

"So I know how long it's been when I pay you back."

"Or how long it's been when you pay the out the money for my hit. How much is it now? I heard two million."

"It is, and as such I suggest you get to the point before I decide to save myself the money and kill ya now. So, what do you want?"

"Information."

"I'm not sayin' anything to you."

Alita curled her fingers into a fist. "Oh, I was so hoping you'd say that." She punched him in the nose sending him staggering back to the railing.

Oyo did manage to stay rather calm, but you could tell he hadn't been punched in a while. "That would be police brutality, you really shouldn't be doin' that."

"So the council keeps tellin' me. Now, I wanna know about Ida and Jehoden."

"Don't know anything that could help ya out there."

She pushed him into the railing using one arm to hold him there while she unholstered her gun and pressed it against his head.

Oyo chuckled. "I see the LEP hasn't fixed that anger problem of yours."

She leaned in till her face was only inches from his. "No, but I've got Dagger. He's facing a decent sized charge. Not to mention the fact that the LEP did give me the ability to kill you and claim self defense. You should probably tell me the truth."

"I hand you Ida what d'ya do about Dagger?"

"I'll see what I can do about a deal."

"Ida's in an apartment near the center of the city, apartment B2, 1320 52nd street. I'll get ya what you need to be able to pick her up and she'll roll on Jehoden no problem."

She released Oyo and slid her gun back into its holster. She pulled a notepad and pen out of the bag slung over her shoulder and shoved them at Oyo. "Write it down. I'll never have t' call ya as a witness."

As he wrote everything down Alita walked over to the individual who had been following her for a while. "Holly, why are you following me?"

"You refused back up and I wasn't gonna let you talk to these guys alone." Holly replied.

"I am more than capable of takin' care a' myself."

"I know that. Just figured I should be around to help you out if you got into any real danger. What'd ya get from him?" Holly nodded her head toward Oyo.

"Ida's location, and if he wants his favorite right hand back with him sometime this century, enough to put her away for a long time."

Oyo walked over to the two of them. He dropped the notepad into Alita's outstretched hands and walked away. She read over what he had written. "Oh, this'll work. We got her now."

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**A/N: Epilogue to follow at some point, but main story is done. It kinda started to go everywhere. So I figured I'd wrap it up and hope this ending plus the Epilogue ties up most loose ends.**

**Good day to you all. I will talk to you again if you read anything else I write.**


	31. Epilogue

Holly, Trouble, and Alita sat at one of best bars in Haven. They decided a celebration was in order. One month ago they had arrested Ida and Jehoden, and soon after the entire operation they ran had fallen apart. Ida and Jehoden had only gotten two centuries each. So it was likely they would be out before either of them died, but two centuries was a long time, and with what had happened after they were arrested the two had no power for these next two centuries.

Holly, Trouble, and Alita were all a little drunk, but Trouble had stopped a few minutes ago. He claimed a LEP Commander had to maintain some semblance of dignity while in public and that it was not likely to happen if he drank any more. Holly and Alita were still downing pint after pint of beer. Trouble had never before met anyone who could match Holly, but Alita was doing a fine job of it.

Trouble pulled some money out of his wallet, threw it down on the bar in front of him and said, "I think I'm gonna call it a night."

Holly quickly counted the cash sitting on the bar. "Thanks Trouble," she said noticing he had paid for everyone's drinks.

"No problem," he said with a smile.

Holly grabbed the coat off the chair behind her. "I'll walk you home."

Alita turned back to her drink, twisting it in her hand. The two really were a cute couple. It was a damn shame neither realized the other was crazy about them. She shrugged. _Maybe one day._ She thought as she continued to drink her beer.

"You always drink alone?"

Alita turned to find Josiah Crassus sitting down beside her. "Do you?" she asked.

Josiah did not answer her question, but instead motioned to the bartender. "Get me two a-" he stopped noticing they had three beers on tap. "What're you drinking?" he asked Alita.

"Honestly…I'm not sure." Alita replied.

"Two of whatever she's been drinking." Josiah told the bartender.

"Comin' right up."

Josiah turned back to Alita. "How exactly do you order it if you don't know what it is?" he asked.

"Same way you did." Alita answered.

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Trouble stopped in front of his apartment building. He looked Holly over. "You sure you're okay the rest of the way home?" He asked, "It's another fifteen blocks?"

"I should be fine," she answered.

"You could always crash with me."

Holly smiled. A genuine smile Trouble didn't see that often. He loved that smile. "Thank you Trouble, that'd be nice."


End file.
